Pupy looks out over the sanctuary
Pupy new at sanctuary

In Loving Memory of Pupy

Rescued April 18, 2025
Died October 10, 2025 at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil
Age: estimated to be 35 years old
Former zoo/ecoparque resident

View Pupy’s Celebration of Life

Pupy was a special soul who carried a strength that was uniquely her own. She was curious and attentive, approaching new things with patient observation rather than the boisterous confidence typical of African elephants. Even in her earliest days at sanctuary, she brought a gentle presence that filled the space around her.

Pupy loved watermelon, fruit popsicles on hot days, bamboo, and grass hay, finding joy in simple comforts of sanctuary life. Though her relationship with Kenya began cautiously, in the weeks before her passing their connection grew stronger. One of the most touching moments we witnessed was Pupy allowing Kenya to stand over her protectively—a gesture of trust that spoke volumes. Kenya embraced the role of big sister, and Pupy allowed herself to be held in that care.

Her passing came swiftly, following a period of gastrointestinal struggles that she faced with the same resilience that defined her life. When she collapsed, Kenya stayed close, watching over her with awareness and continuing to hold space.

In Buenos Aires, before coming to sanctuary, Pupy had been quiet and reserved, her world limited by circumstance. At sanctuary, she changed. She explored the woods with confidence, embraced the habitat as her own, and found her voice—soft rumbles growing into clear expressions of who she was. She exercised choice, opened up to Kenya in her own time, and allowed herself to live as an elephant.

Pupy’s time at sanctuary was brief, but it was meaningful. She explored, she changed, and she allowed herself to trust. She was seen, loved, and never alone.

Tributes to Pupy

Please share your heart, your thoughts, and your reflections on this Memorial Page in honor of our sweet Pupy.