Lions, tigers from notorious zoo in Argentina begin journey to wildlife sanctuaries

The cats are on their way to sanctuaries in South Africa and the US from the zoo, which was shut in 2020 over animal welfare concerns

Thirty lions and tigers that were kept alive – barely – for years in cramped concrete cages at a closed Argentine zoo began entering jumbo-size transport crates on Friday as they embarked on ambitious journeys to wildlife sanctuaries halfway across the world in South Africa and the United States.

“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.

But getting there is no easy feat: the big cats bound for Colorado will fly through Chile, while the others will travel to Johannesburg via Frankfurt or Amsterdam before a four-hour drive to Lionsrock.