Julie is already roaming under controlled freedom and has even enjoyed her first mud bath. This elephant is the first resident of the Pangea elephant sanctuary, located between Vila Viçosa and Alandroal, in the district of Évora.
This female was also the last circus elephant in Portugal. After the ban on wild animals in circuses in Portugal came into force, she remained in the care of her owner, the Victor Hugo Cardinali circus.
Julie was captured in Africa around 40 years ago. She arrived in Portugal when she was still very young and joined the Cardinali circus in 1988. For now, it is impossible to know how much longer she will be able to enjoy the freedom she has just been given.
“We cannot be sure; elephants in the wild live for more than 70 years. Unfortunately, elephants born in captivity have half the life expectancy of an elephant born in the wild, so we cannot know exactly how much time she has left. She has had a hard life, but I must say she has been very energetic at Pangea this week, so we remain hopeful,” said Kate Moore, Pangea’s director-general, speaking to the Associated Press.
In the first update after her arrival, the sanctuary said that the elephant “is adapting very well” and that “she is quickly feeling comfortable enough to choose how to spend her day in her new environment”.
