BOSTON / BUENOS AIRES – OCTOBER 24, 2025. FOUR PAWS has begun the first phase of its emergency mission at the former Zoo Luján in Argentina. The global animal welfare organization has deployed a team of veterinarians and wildlife experts to provide over 60 big cats and two bears with urgent care.

The former zoo was closed in 2020 due to serious animal welfare concerns. Many enclosures are far too small and overcrowded, housing large groups of big cats, often lions and tigers together. The bears are kept separately from the big cats but are also in cramped, confined conditions.

“We have serious concerns over the animals’ safety, health, and well-being. Some require critical attention. It is vital that we check the health status of each animal to ensure their immediate needs are addressed. To do this, every lion, tiger and bear must be sedated and moved to a temporary veterinary field unit on-site. There, two veterinary teams carry out examinations and perform emergency surgeries if needed. Our work will not end with the veterinary assessment. We are already planning next steps to ensure the animals have a better chance in life,” explained veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil, who leads the FOUR PAWS emergency mission in Argentina.

In August 2025, FOUR PAWS and the Environmental Control Brigade of the National Undersecretariat of the Environment conducted an initial visual assessment of the animals at former Zoo Luján. In September following this visit, FOUR PAWS took over responsibility for the care of the big cats and bears at the site.

The current veterinary mission marks the first step of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FOUR PAWS and the Argentine government. The MoU outlines the collective goal to end the private keeping and commercial trade of big cats in the country.

FOUR PAWS has been active in Argentina in recent years, carrying out several big cat rescue missions. In 2022, FOUR PAWS rescued four Bengal tigers, Mafalda, Gustavo, Messi and Sandro, also known as the Train Tigers, who had been confined in train carriages for over 15 years. In a complex, multi-continent mission, the tigers were relocated to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa. In 2023, FOUR PAWS rescued two neglected tigers from an illegal breeding farm in Balcarce. With no suitable sanctuaries for big cats available in Argentina, the animals were transferred to Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife in Jordan.

As in the previous missions in Argentina, FOUR PAWS is committed to finding species-appropriate long-term solutions for the animals.