For years, lions and tigers remained in cramped concrete enclosures at a zoo that had already been shut down.
Argentine authorities closed the Luján Zoo in 2020 over safety and animal-welfare concerns. The facility had become known for allowing visitors close physical contact with big cats.
The international animal-welfare organization Four Paws later took responsibility for improving care and arranging permanent placements for the animals that remained.
In August 2026, thirty of the lions and tigers began the complex process of leaving Argentina.
Nine tigers and six lions were assigned to Lionsrock, a sanctuary in South Africa. Eight tigers and seven lions were bound for The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.
Moving animals this large requires veterinary examinations, specialized transport crates, extensive route planning and careful management of stress. Handlers trained many animals to enter their crates voluntarily, while some required sedation.
The transfer changes the daily reality for these thirty animals: from a shuttered facility associated with serious welfare failures to sanctuaries designed for rescued big cats.
It does not finish the work. More than twenty lions and tigers remained at Luján while Four Paws continued seeking long-term homes.
The honest milestone is therefore substantial but incomplete—thirty individual animals are moving into better circumstances after years of uncertainty.