Rahul SomvanshiThe long-awaited rescue of 30 big cats from the former Lujan Zoo in Argentina began Friday, August 14, 2026. The animals begin a new chapter at wildlife sanctuaries.
Members of the Four Paws animal welfare organization load a tiger onto a truck for its transfer from the shuttered zoo to a sanctuary in South Africa, in Lujan, Argentina, Friday, August 14, 2026.
Nine tigers and six lions will travel to Lionsrock, a Four Paws sanctuary in South Africa. The remaining eight tigers and seven lions will journey to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.
The big cats bound for Colorado will fly through Chile, while others will travel to Johannesburg via Frankfurt or Amsterdam. Some animals required sedation during the transfer process.
Argentina authorities shut down the Lujan Zoo in 2020 after years of safety and animal welfare concerns. The facility, famous for allowing visitors to pose with tigers, held 200 big cats when it first closed. By the time Four Paws took over, approximately 62 remained.
That alone shows the level of overcrowding and the conditions in which these animals have endured, said Luciana D’Abramo, program director for Four Paws. Some animals could barely walk due to obesity, muscle loss, or poor nutrition.
Approximately 20 lions and tigers remain at Lujan while Four Paws continues searching for long-term homes.
