Stranded Big Catsโ Rescued from Lujรกn Zoo Yearsโ After Argentina’s Closure
Lujรกn, โคArgentina – September 23, 2024 โ – Aโ massiveโค animalโค rescue operation is underway โatโ the former Lujรกn Zoo outside โคBuenos Aires, years after the facility โขwas shuttered โคfollowing years of animal welfare concerns. International animalโฃ welfare institutionโ Four Pawsโฃ is leading the effort to relocate dozens of lions, tigers, and โขother big cats fromโฃ the derelict zoo, marking its largest-ever big catโค rescue.
The Lujรกn Zoo gained notoriety โฃfor its poor conditions and โขhands-on animal encounters, allowing tourists to touch โandโฃ feed big cats. The zoo was eventuallyโฃ closed, leaving its animalsโข stranded. โคFour โฃPaws hasโข previously conductedโ rescues in conflict zones, including rescuing โคstarving 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 whereโ they are kept make this a muchโข bigger challenge,”โข said โฃDr. Amir Khalil, the veterinarian leading theโฃ Four Paws emergency โฃmission.โ “This is โฃone of our biggest missionsโ โฆ not onlyโค in Argentinaโ or Latin america, butโ worldwide.”
Veterinarians and expertsโ began โขassessing โฃthe animals on Thursday,discovering that most had โคnot been vaccinated,sterilized,or microchipped.The team โขhas been administering nutrients, antibiotics, and pain medication toโค sedated lions and tigers. Emergency surgeries have already been performed,including โtreatmentโ for a โฃbleeding gash on a tiger’s tail and โaโข vaginalโฃ tumor on a lioness. Several animals require root canals to address infected molars broken onโค steel cage bars, โand othersโ are โคbeing treated for claw deformitiesโ caused byโ unnatural flooring.
After evaluation in the coming weeks, Four Paws will arrange for the โanimals’ transfer to more expansive, โคnatural habitats aroundโฃ the world.
The rescue evokes mixedโ emotions from former zookeepers. Alberto โDรญaz, who worked at the Lujรกn Zoo for 27 years, expressed happiness at the improvedโค conditions while also recallingโฃ the zoo’s popularity. “It used to be โa very popular place โโฆ โI’ve seen people cry because they could touch a lion or feed a tiger withโฃ a bottle,” Dรญazโ said. “Time changes, laws change, โขand you have to adapt โขorโข getโฃ left behind.”



