30 lions and tigers leave notorious Argentine zoo; head to new sanctuaries

Members of the Four Paws animal welfare organization load a tiger onto a truck for its transfer Thirty lions and tigers that spent years in cramped concrete cages at a shuttered zoo in Argentina have begun a long journey to new homes at wildlife sanctuaries in South Africa and the United States.The big cats were moved into large transport crates on Friday as part of an international rescue operation led by Four Paws, an animal welfare organisation. According to news agency Assocaited Press, the operation is one of the largest relocations of captive big cats in the world.The animals are being rescued from the former Lujan Zoo, about 70 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires. The zoo was shut down in 2020 after Argentine authorities raised concerns about safety and animal welfare. Since then, the future of the animals kept there had remained uncertain.“We are putting everything into making this go as smoothly as possible so we can celebrate that 30 lives have improved because of this effort,” said Luciana D’Abramo, programme director for Four Paws, as quoted by Associated Press.The transfer is the result of a longer effort to move the animals away from the conditions in which they had ...