The Lujan Zoo in Argentina for decades has allowed visitors to pet and feed the wild animals. These animals include lions, tigers, and bears. The animals were crammed in a tight cage with one another.
This lead to the animals contracting many illnesses from poor nutrition, organ failure due to the cammed Cages causing stress, no vet visits in years, and wounds from fights with other animals. Two African tigers and two Asian tigers shared a tight cage. In the wilderness these animals would never interact with each other but at the Lujan Zoo they are. There was also a 10-square-foot cage with seven female lions in it. Even at other zoos a lion should have 2.5 acres of land for itself.
The international animal welfare organization Four Paws led the rescue effort to save these animals. They fought with the Argentina government to take over the animals. They took the sixty two tigers and lions, and two bears to help them. They first evaluated them before transfer and gave them some treatment. The lions were sent to the Wiler Animal Sanctuary in Colorado and the Tigers were sent to Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa to give treatment.
The zoo shutdown in 2020 by Argentine authorities. After lots of controversy of guest being able to touch and feel the animals. Over the past 5 years the animals were taken care of by the past zoo workers at Lujan. They still made sure to feed and care for the animals as best they could despite losing their job.
The animals started with 136 tigers and lions at the closing then in 2023 went down to 112 once Four Paws visited the zoo. Most were dying due to the harsh living conditions, illness, and little food.
The vets began to check up the animals which led to needed surgeries of root canals to repair infected morals broken on biting the steel cage bars, claws grown inward, injuries, and one tiger for a tumor.
