Rebecca Manzi Pupy has been locked up in the Buenos Aires Zoo for over 30 years and has now been transferred to a sanctuary in Brazil where she will have over 1,000 hectares to roam in peace.
@Global Sanctuary for Elephants
For over three decades, the relentless noise of the city was the only soundtrack to her life. Pupy, an African elephant and victim of the illegal wildlife trade, arrived in Buenos Aires in 1993—at a time when zoos were still seen as exotic showcases.
Since then, she had lived in a small concrete enclosure at the base of the Temple of Vesta, now part of the city’s Ecopark. One by one, her fellow captives died. But yesterday, at last, her cage opened.
“Pupy has started her journey to freedom”
On April 14, to the sound of applause, tears, and embraces, Pupy began a nearly 2,500-mile journey to the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Mato Grosso, Brazil. She will be the first resident of a special area designed exclusively for African elephants: a natural habitat spanning over 2,500 acres, far from concrete, noise, and isolation.
ATENÇÃO!!! NOVIDADE DIRETO DE BUENOS AIRES! O grande dia finalmente chegou! Estamos emocionados em anunciar que a Pupy já foi içada pelo guindaste e colocada no caminhão que vai levá-la até o Santuário de Elefantes Brasil.Scott tem estado no Ecoparque de Buenos Aires nos últimos dias e pôde acompanhar de perto o progresso da Pupy. Após algumas conversas com os tratadores dela, a equipe decidiu que era o momento ideal para fechar a porta da caixa de transporte. E logo ficou claro: essa elefanta estava pronta para partir.A Dra. Trish está acompanhando Scott e vai seguir com a caravana durante todo o trajeto, garantindo que todas as necessidades da Pupy sejam atendidas ao longo do caminho. Três tratadores dela também estão viajando juntos, para oferecer conforto, participar dos cuidados durante a jornada — e, claro, presenciar a alegria de ver uma elefanta recebendo sua nova vida.Se tudo correr como planejado, a Pupy deve chegar ao Santuário no final da semana. A caravana fará paradas frequentes para garantir que ela esteja bem e possa descansar. No momento, ela está tranquila e parece confortável dentro da caixa. Está beliscando petiscos e demonstrando curiosidade com a movimentação ao redor. Como Scott diz: ela está indo super bem.Acompanhe a página da Pupy para atualizações e para seguir o trajeto dela. Scott e a equipe vão compartilhar tudo ao vivo sempre que possível — e nós manteremos vocês atualizados com notícias em tempo real.#animais #elefantes #elefantesbrasil #elephant #seb #santuario #resgateanimal #elephantsinstagram #vempramanada #pupynoseb #pupylivre #animaisdoinsta #PupyNaÁrea #PupyNoCaminho #PupyNaEstrada #JornadaDaPupy
Posted by Santuário de Elefantes Brasil on Monday, April 14, 2025
Her companion died before she could reach freedom
The transfer wasn’t easy. It took more than two years to complete every step—permits, health protocols, and gentle training. Pupy herself set the pace. In February, she refused to enter the transport crate. But a month and a half later, something shifted. She was ready.
Her caretakers said goodbye as the custom-designed crate—built to ensure her safety and comfort—was lifted by crane onto a truck bound for freedom. In the air was the memory of Kuky, the last elephant Pupy shared her enclosure with. Kuky died in October 2024, just hours after the final permits for her own transfer arrived.
That night, Pupy let out long vocalizations. As if she knew. As if she were saying goodbye. Since then, she’s been alone—but perhaps also more at peace.
In her new world, familiar faces await: Mara, who left the Ecopark in 2020, and Guillermina, who came from Mendoza with her mother Pocha, now deceased. Another African elephant, Kenia, will soon join them.
“That cry for freedom that began in 2015 is now reality”
That symbolic cry for liberation began in 2015, when a group of activists encircled the Buenos Aires zoo in a protest for change. Today, it has become real. Pupy has walked out. Her steps on the red earth will be slow, but certain. She is no longer an attraction.
She is a free elephant.
Source: Global Sanctuary for Elephants
