Inside an Emergency Mission 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Argentina brought FOUR PAWS directly to the former Zoo Luján. What awaited us was a monumental task: extensive administrative coordination, international collaboration, the setup of on-site infrastructure, and immediate improvements to the animals’ living conditions.

Then, within just 16 days, our expert team completed 64 full veterinary checks and multiple emergency surgeries, relieving animals of pain, diagnosing long-neglected conditions, and taking the first steps toward restoring their health. We continue to support the animals on the ground, striving to secure species-appropriate futures for each one of them. 

None of this would have been possible without compassionate supporters like you. Your commitment became the backbone of this unprecedented mission. To honor that, we’re taking you behind the scenes to show you how the emergency mission truly felt for the FOUR PAWS team on the ground.

Following, Pia Einheimler, a FOUR PAWS rescue specialist and key member of the team, shares her firsthand account of her time in the former zoo. She reflects on the challenges, emotions, and determination behind one of the largest big cat veterinary assessments in FOUR PAWS history.

The first thing that I noticed when arriving at the former Zoo Luján was the smell. Its foul notes unpleasantly lingered in my nostrils, impossible to ignore. It was the first indication that there was something wrong with the place.

The further I walked, the more unsettling the environment became. Animal carcasses. Enclosures holding as many as seven big cats. Areas where accessing the animals was nearly impossible. Those first moments were the most overwhelming. Nothing truly prepared me for standing in front of 64 animals in need of help.

I arrived on September 21st together with a small initial team consisting of Dr. Marina Ivanova, Velizar Angelov, Juno van Zon, and our Argentinian colleague Mateo Tealdi to gain a first overview of the situation and assess the animals’ conditions ahead of the veterinary checks. Our role was to bring a sense of order to the chaos, to start improving husbandry systems, and to prepare everything for the launch of the veterinary assessment.

At first glance, many animals seemed fine. But as soon as we got close enough to truly observe them, the truth became painfully clear: open wounds, stress behaviors, obvious neurological problems, inadequate space and poor conditions. With every enclosure we approached, the urgency of the mission became more evident. These animals needed help – immediately.

Lack of space was the most critical issue. One enclosure housed four adult males: a mix of lions and tigers. One of the smallest enclosures, only a few square meters in size, held seven lionesses together. Close by, another group of female lions and tigers were kept side by side. Such mixed-species groupings are extremely unnatural – these animals would never encounter each other in the wild. Walking by those cramped enclosures, a wave of sadness hit me: many of the animals had spent more than a decade this way, and all were born into these conditions.

Our initial small team slowly grew, and so did the amount of work. Beyond caring for the animals each day, much of our focus was on repairing enclosures. As we relocated some animals to the adapted enclosures to give them more space within the zoo and to ensure safe anesthesia procedures for the vet assessment, the positive change in their behavior was immediate. It was clear their lives improved the very moment their environment did.

Once everything was prepared and the medical needs were mapped out, the team could finally begin the veterinary checks. The first day of veterinary checks is still one of my most cherished memories. After days of confronting so much suffering, finally being able to ease, it felt deeply meaningful. 

Ahead of the second day, I woke up to a violent thunderstorm. Lying in bed at around 5 a.m., I remember thinking: “This is bad. Really bad. How are we supposed to work in this?” It was pouring so hard that even the hotel grounds had begun to flood.

The situation at the former zoo was even worse. Trees had fallen. The entire site was flooded. Thick mud swallowed my feet with every step. Our temporary veterinary field unit – our main working tent – was completely waterlogged. For a moment, I felt genuinely overwhelmed.

It seemed impossible to continue. Cancelling the day would have meant delays, reshuffling our entire plan, and worst of all, forcing animals in urgent need to wait even longer. Thankfully, my colleague Ines immediately took charge. She found rubber boots and raincoats for all of us. Her quick thinking helped the team push forward and regain some of the optimism we had lost.

To manage the water inside the tent, we covered the floor with sand. Getting the sand delivered was a team effort, with strong support from our local colleagues. When the truckload arrived, everyone immediately got to work, spreading the sand across the ground within minutes. Thanks to this teamwork, we could safely resume the veterinary checks.

Through this process, we weren’t alone – the local police, ambulance services, and Argentina’s environmental brigade were right beside us. Without them, I honestly don’t think we would have made it through the day. They provided pickup trucks that could navigate the deep mud and off-road terrain. Moreover, they were always on standby in case of an emergency.

The heavy rain continued for days. Water drained slowly, with the ground drying inch by inch. But eventually, the skies cleared, and we were rewarded with several bright, sunny days.

Despite the weather, our teams continued with the veterinary assessments. Every day began with the same crucial task: identifying the most urgent cases and making sure those animals were helped first. Some of what we saw was deeply distressing: animals unable to walk due to neurological issues, collapsing mid-movement.

We noticed a clear pattern: animals that were extremely anxious, withdrawn, or aggressive were often suffering from serious underlying health conditions. Behavior, especially when it’s extreme, is often a signal that something is deeply wrong.

For me, the two bears were especially memorable. Gordo – the gentle giant – stood out immediately. He weighed around 775 pounds and needed more than ten people to lift him safely. Yet despite his size, he was calm, sweet, and wonderfully gentle. His favorite task was to observe people, and every time I looked at him, I couldn’t help but smile.

Sadly, complications were inevitable – unexpected findings, emergency surgeries, or the need for additional diagnostics like X-rays – all of which we had to take into consideration. Seeing the animals wake up from anesthesia was always an unnerving moment, with the same question in my mind: Will they recover well? They were briefly disoriented, as anyone would be, but most recovered calmly and quite quickly.

Those intense days of veterinary assessments required quick thinking and flexibility. At one point, I supported the coordination of the vet checks: scheduling examinations, adjusting plans on the go, and ensuring that every detail aligned with welfare protocols. All this work is not possible without a strong team. Each decision was made collectively, together with the mission lead, veterinarians, and the entire team. We began and ended our days with briefings. The evening ones were my refuge: we could finally exchange our impressions, let our emotions out and discuss what we had learned.

In the end, we completed all veterinary checks without a single serious incident or challenge that couldn’t be solved. I am still impressed by that. For me, it was one of the clearest signs that despite every challenge, we were making a real and meaningful difference.

Coming home after the mission felt both incredible and strange. After months of working around the clock, it was a relief to finally slow down. But at the same time, everything felt slightly unreal.

I spoke about this with other team members, and everyone described the same feeling. After spending so much time together – problem-solving, reacting, supporting one another – you suddenly open the door to your home and face complete silence. It’s bittersweet. You stand there for a moment, almost unsure what to do with all the peace and quiet.

What makes it easier is knowing that everything truly came together. With such a huge and complex mission and needing to act so fast, the team banded together quickly, finding solutions and staying optimistic. By the second and third day, everyone knew exactly where to be and what needed to happen.

Communication within the team became almost instinctive. Sometimes all it took was a look to understand what the other person needed. I will never forget that synergy. We moved as a single unit.

The team was truly exceptional. Roles didn’t matter – if someone needed help, others stepped in. Of course, after long weeks, our energy dipped at times. But each new case, each animal that needed urgent care, reignited our determination.

Right now, a few team members remain at the former zoo. While all the animals received veterinary checks, they will need significant aftercare. They are still receiving essential treatments, and husbandry conditions are being improved temporarily until we find species-appropriate long-term solutions and the forever homes these animals so truly deserve.

The mission is far from over, but I could not be prouder to have been part of this incredible team effort to alleviate the heartbreaking conditions faced by 64 animals.

We are still caring for the remaining big cats living at the former Zoo Luján in Argentina, ensuring that they receive the proper medical care, nutrition, and enrichment they need. We are busy as ever preparing for what’s next.