Stranded Big Cats Rescued from Luján Zoo Years After Argentina’s Closure
Luján, Argentina – September 23, 2024 – A massive animal rescue operation is underway at the former Luján Zoo outside Buenos Aires, years after the facility was shuttered following years of animal welfare concerns. International animal welfare institution Four Paws is leading the effort to relocate dozens of lions, tigers, and other big cats from the derelict zoo, marking its largest-ever big cat rescue.
The Luján Zoo gained notoriety for its poor conditions and hands-on animal encounters, allowing tourists to touch and feed big cats. The zoo was eventually closed, leaving its animals stranded. Four Paws has previously conducted rescues in conflict zones, including rescuing starving tigers from Syria’s civil war, abandoned bears and hyenas from Mosul, Iraq, and neglected lion cubs from the Gaza Strip, but this operation presents a unique scale of challenge.
“Here, the number of animals and the conditions where they are kept make this a much bigger challenge,” said Dr. Amir Khalil, the veterinarian leading the Four Paws emergency mission. “This is one of our biggest missions … not only in Argentina or Latin america, but worldwide.”
Veterinarians and experts began assessing the animals on Thursday,discovering that most had not been vaccinated,sterilized,or microchipped.The team has been administering nutrients, antibiotics, and pain medication to sedated lions and tigers. Emergency surgeries have already been performed,including treatment for a bleeding gash on a tiger’s tail and a vaginal tumor on a lioness. Several animals require root canals to address infected molars broken on steel cage bars, and others are being treated for claw deformities caused by unnatural flooring.
After evaluation in the coming weeks, Four Paws will arrange for the animals’ transfer to more expansive, natural habitats around the world.
The rescue evokes mixed emotions from former zookeepers. Alberto Díaz, who worked at the Luján Zoo for 27 years, expressed happiness at the improved conditions while also recalling the zoo’s popularity. “It used to be a very popular place … I’ve seen people cry because they could touch a lion or feed a tiger with a bottle,” Díaz said. “Time changes, laws change, and you have to adapt or get left behind.”
