Elephants whose zoo and circus careers are over will soon have a retirement sanctuary in Portugal's Alentejo region, which was last home to elephants over 35,000 years ago.
The sanctuary, being set up with private funds, lies in two parishes, Pardais and Alandroal, and covers about 400 hectares, or about 400 football fields. The project is led by Kate Mor, who works with an international elephant protection charity.
Mor says the project is needed not only for aging-out elephants but because increasingly laws are being passed that prohibit holding elephants in captivity, not only in Portugal but elsewhere in Europe. The refuge will initially be home to 25 elephants.
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