Rescue of 30 Lions and Tigers from Argentina’s Closed Luján Zoo

Thirty lions and tigers that had been confined in cramped concrete cages at the former Luján Zoo, about 70 km northwest of Buenos Aires, were loaded into jumbo-size transport crates on Friday and flown to wildlife sanctuaries in South Africa and the United States. Four Paws, the international animal-welfare organization coordinating the move, called it one of the largest relocations of captive big cats ever undertaken. Nine tigers and six lions are headed for Lionsrock sanctuary in South Africa, while eight tigers and seven lions will travel to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, USA.

South China Morning PostLions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

The zoo was ordered shut by Argentine authorities in 2020 over safety and animal-welfare concerns, after years of allowing visitors to handle the big cats. When Four Paws first inspected the site in 2023, about 112 big cats remained out of an estimated 200 that had lived there at closure. By the time the organization was permitted to take over the property two years later, only 62 animals remained, many suffering from obesity, muscle loss, dental and kidney disease, or injuries that never healed.

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

• Total big cats transferred: 30 (17 tigers, 13 lions)

South China Morning Post

• Destination breakdown: 9 tigers + 6 lions -> Lionsrock (South Africa); 8 tigers + 7 lions -> The Wild Animal Sanctuary (Colorado)

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

• Remaining at Luján after the move: more than 20 lions and tigers still awaiting permanent homes

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

Four Paws’ programme director Luciana D’Abramo said the organization retrained longtime zoo staff in modern welfare practices, improved diets and medical care, and that the rescue demonstrates the severe overcrowding and poor conditions the animals endured. The group emphasized its commitment to ensuring a smooth transition for the relocated cats.

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

• “We are putting everything into making this go as smoothly as possible so we can celebrate that 30 lives have improved because of this effort,” — Luciana D’Abramo, program director for Four Paws

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo

• “That alone shows the level of overcrowding and the conditions in which these animals have endured,” — Luciana D’Abramo, program director for Four Paws

Lions and tigers begin a long-awaited rescue from a notorious Argentine zoo