Two former Antwerp Zoo employees have moved to France with the aim of providing a sanctuary for former circus elephants

The Land Rover bumps and rattles along the narrow dirt road that runs through the rolling hills of tall grass, clusters of trees and pastures dotted with sheep. The morning sun is already high in the sky, but Bussière-Galant, the small village in western France that will soon be home to Europe’s first elephant sanctuary, is giving off a sleepy vibe.

Soon, the road straightens up and the pine trees give way to pear orchards. Tony Verhulst steers the car down an even narrower path leading to a cluster of farm buildings surrounded by a field with an unfinished fence.

As we climb out onto the gravel driveway, we’re greeted by Verhulst’s partner, Sofie Goetghebeur, who has just got off the phone to a newspaper in Paris.

“Welcome to Elephant Haven,” she says, putting the phone on the table. “We get a lot of calls from journalists asking if they can see the elephants, but once they find out we don’t have any animals yet, it’s not that easy to convince them to come here.”

For now, the couple from Antwerp are busy organising fundraisers and fencing off the pastures. The only elephants in the sanctuary are clay statues donated by volunteers and supporters.

One peers from behind the shrubs, another perches on the edge of a small pond. The biggest, made of recycled plastic, was given to them by a retired American actor who lives in the area and was used to promote the project at the regional airport.

The first actual elephant is expected to arrive early next year. When the construction is complete, Elephant Haven will be home to 10 African and Asian elephants, who will be free to roam on 29 hectares of grass, interspersed with walnut and pine trees.