During August, a transfer of 30 large felines will take place from the former Luján zoo, which closed almost six years ago.
Fifteen will travel to South Africa, to the Lionsrock sanctuary of the Austrian organization Four Paws, and another fifteen will head to the United States, to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg.
Destination South Africa: Lionsrock
- Located in Bethlehem, it covers 1,250 hectares acquired in 2006.
- Currently houses 80 felines rescued from circuses and zoos.
- The animals live in enclosures of up to three hectares, grouped according to affinities or family ties.
- Among those transferred will be the three lion brothers Stanley, Scar, and Joe, and the tiger brothers Keko and Dylan.
Destination United States: Wild Animal Sanctuary
- With 4,000 hectares, it hosts more than 950 animals.
- Most of the rescued had never set foot on grass before arriving there.
- The Argentine felines will have access to spacious areas and specialized care.
The dark past of the former Luján zoo
Closed in 2020 by the Ministry of Environment, the site left about 400 animals to their fate, including 130 felines.
- The elephant Sharima died shortly after the closure.
- Chimpanzees, bears, zebras, monkeys, macaws, snakes, and dromedaries were trapped.
- Of the original 130 felines, only 62 survived when Four Paws entered in 2025. The rest died in precarious conditions.
The owner, Jorge Semino, tried to sustain them by selling his collection of tractors and antique cars, but the lack of income worsened the crisis.
The intervention of Four Paws
Thanks to an agreement with the Secretariat of Tourism, Environment, and Sports and the Argentine foundation Zorba, Four Paws took on the rescue mission.
- In October 2025, an international team set up field hospitals and assessed the health of the felines.
- Sterilizations, ultrasounds, analyses, and dental treatments were performed.
- The tigress Flora was transferred to the Netherlands, where she died cared for and without pain.
- Two bears were sent to the Belitsa sanctuary in Bulgaria.
From Lionsrock, Four Paws promotes educational programs and campaigns against canned hunting, a cruel practice that involves raising lions in captivity to release them in enclosed areas to facilitate hunting.
Key statements
- Luciana D’Abramo, executive director of Four Paws: “It is one of the largest missions we have had”.
- Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports: “This cooperation reflects a paradigm shift in how we relate to other species”.
The mega-transfer of tigers and lions from the former Luján zoo represents a decisive step towards animal welfare and the closure of a history marked by abandonment and suffering.
The international coordination demonstrates that it is possible to transform a crisis scenario into an opportunity for rescue and conservation.
