Thirty big cats start long-awaited transfer from Argentina's closed Luján Zoo

Thirty lions and tigers that survived for years in the former Luján Zoo, located about 70 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, began their journey to new homes on Friday. The cats were placed in jumbo-size crates and loaded onto aircraft destined for two rescue facilities: Lionsrock in South Africa, which houses over 80 big cats on 60 hectares of natural habitat, and The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, a sprawling refuge on the grasslands near Denver.

Four Paws, the animal-welfare NGO managing the move, said the operation is among the largest ever for captive big cats. While most of the felines entered the crates voluntarily after training, two tigers needed sedation and were carried in canvas slings by veterinarians. The Luján Zoo, once famous for allowing visitors to pose with the big cats, was closed by Argentine authorities in 2020 over safety and welfare concerns; at its peak it held about 200 big cats, but only 62 remained when Four Paws took over the site two years later. The organization has been improving diets, medical care, and staff practices, but more than 20 cats will stay at Luján while permanent homes are sought.