Kariba, an African female elephant just over 40 years old, was supposed to be the first of her species to reach the elephant sanctuary that was built in the Alentejo.
However, according to information provided by Pangea, the organization responsible for the sanctuary, successive infections have delayed the animal’s arrival in Portugal.
The transfer of Kariba from the Belgian zoo Pakawi Park to the sanctuary was planned for the beginning of this year, with the elephant having been trained for the trip to Portugal. But in June it was postponed because she had developed an abscess in one of her legs.
According to information shared this Friday by Pangea, since then she has been affected by two other infections: one in the chest and another more serious that resulted in the loss of part of her left ear.
The organization says there are several reasons why Kariba developed multiple infections. “An infection that is not fully cured does not always stay in the same place,” the sanctuary explains in a post on their social media channels.
“Bacteria can travel through the bloodstream to new areas of the body, which is why a single persistent abscess can cause others to appear in different sites,” Pangea explains. It adds that abscesses in the feet can even be a sign of more serious health problems, “especially in older elephants who have lived in captivity, like Kariba, who have fewer opportunities to move around.”
According to the shared information, Pakawi Park called in a veterinarian specialized in elephants to treat and monitor Kariba’s health.
The good news is that two of the three infections are now practically cured and the wounds on her ear are healing well. But the road ahead is still long, and Pangea says that, for now, it is not possible to know when the elephant will be fit to travel to the sanctuary in the Alentejo.
“The last few months have been difficult for her,” the organization says.
Kariba, like many other elephants, has had a life marked by tragedy, suffering and loneliness. She was captured in 1984, still a baby, in Zimbabwe, where she lived in the wild. Separated from her family, she was transported thousands of kilometers to a zoo in Germany.
In 2012, the great mammal was transferred to another zoo, in Belgium, Pakawi Park, where she began sharing a space with another African elephant, Jenny. However, in 2021, Jenny died and Kariba was left alone, a hard blow for a highly social animal.
In the sanctuary, Kariba would join Julie, the last circus elephant in Portugal, who arrived at her new home last July, after almost 40 years as part of Circo Victor Hugo Cardinali.
