More than 60 big cats and two brown bears are already receiving urgent veterinary care as part of the rescue and assistance program at the Luján Zoo.
Although it was closed in 2020 due to serious animal welfare issues, many animals still remain there.
According to the international NGO Four Paws, in charge of the operation, for years the specimens were without adequate care, space, or enrichment.
Now, with this veterinary mission, the aim is to ensure the welfare of more than 60 animals and eventually offer them a better life.
The rescue mission at the Luján Zoo will extend until the end of November.
How the rescue operation at Luján Zoo works
Since October 23, 2025, veterinarians and wildlife experts have been working at the former Luján Zoo in the province of Buenos Aires to assess the health status of each tiger, lion, and bear.
The animal rescue at the Luján Zoo is led by Egyptian veterinarian Amir Khalil and Argentine Luciana D’Abramo, Director of Programs at Four Paws.
“We are seriously concerned about the safety, health, and welfare of the animals,” Khalil noted.
And he explained: “Some require critical attention. It is essential to check the health status of each animal to ensure their immediate needs are met.”
The veterinarian detailed the procedure: each animal must be sedated and moved to a temporary veterinary unit set up on site.
There, two veterinary teams conduct comprehensive examinations and, if necessary, emergency surgeries.
“Our work does not end with the veterinary assessment. We are already planning the next steps to ensure that the animals have a better life,” he added.
The operation faces considerable logistical challenges, as many enclosures in the old zoo are small and overcrowded.
Thus, today they house large groups of felines together in inadequate conditions, particularly lions and tigers.
Meanwhile, the two brown bears are kept separate, also in confinement conditions.
Luján Zoo: from closure to the current emergency
In August 2025, Four Paws and the Environmental Control Brigade of the National Undersecretariat for the Environment conducted an initial visual assessment that confirmed the urgency to intervene.
Thus, on September 1, 2025, the NGO assumed full legal responsibility for the animals.
This includes the management of daily care, veterinary attention, and associated operational costs.
Now, the organization ensures the basic needs of the animals by feeding them and keeping them safe while planning long-term solutions.
In response to the emergency, a small team from Four Paws arrived on site in September to address the immediate needs and prepare the veterinary assessments that began this October.
The mission in Luján represents the first step in the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2025 between Four Paws and the Argentine government.
On behalf of the NGO, it was Luciana D’Abramo who acted as the representative for the agreement, while the Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports of the Nation, Daniel Scioli, signed for the Government.
“The memorandum allows Four Paws to act as a neutral consultant,” explained D’Abramo.
Thus, the NGO is enabled to provide “specialized advice to all authorities and legislators to assess the living conditions of the big cats.”
And she added: “When necessary, we will collaborate with the government to relocate the animals to suitable environments for their species.”
In particular, the agreement seeks to eradicate private ownership and the trade of big cats in the country.
“We know that many big cats in Argentina live in inadequate conditions and face constant animal welfare issues,” noted the Director of Programs.
As a final goal in the country, the organization aims to “achieve legislative reforms that strengthen animal welfare standards for big cats throughout the country and prevent future emergencies.”
“Argentina now has the opportunity to become a regional leader in the protection of big cats,” D’Abramo emphasized.
The rescue background of Four Paws in the country
Four Paws already has previous experience working with big cats in Argentina.
In 2022, it carried out a complex multi-continental mission to rescue four Bengal tigers that had been confined in train carriages for over 15 years.
At that time, the animals, named Mafalda, Gustavo, Messi, and Sandro, were relocated to the LIONSROCK sanctuary in South Africa.
Later, in 2023, the organization rescued two neglected tigers from an illegal breeding farm in Balcarce.
Due to the lack of suitable sanctuaries for big cats in Argentina, the animals were transferred to the Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife sanctuary in Jordan.
In this vein, the organization is already planning long-term solutions to ensure a better future for each of the animals from the former Luján Zoo.
