Membe s
of
the
Fou
Paws
a imal
welfa e
o ga izatio
load
a
tige
o to
a
t uck
fo
its
t a sfe
Thi ty
lio s
a d
tige s
that
spe t
yea s
i
c amped
co c ete
cages
at
a
shutte ed
zoo
i
A ge ti a
have
begu
a
lo g
jou ey
to
ew
homes
at
wildlife
sa ctua ies
i
South
Af ica
a d
the
U ited
States.The
big
cats
we e
moved
i to
la ge
t a spo t
c ates
o
F iday
as
pa t
of
a
i te atio al
escue
ope atio
led
by
Fou
Paws,
a
a imal
welfa e
o ga isatio .
Acco di g
to
ews
age cy
Assocaited
P ess,
the
ope atio
is
o e
of
the
la gest
elocatio s
of
captive
big
cats
i
the
wo ld.The
a imals
a e
bei g
escued
f om
the
fo me
Luja
Zoo,
about
70
kilomet es
o thwest
of
Bue os
Ai es.
The
zoo
was
shut
dow
i
2020
afte
A ge ti e
autho ities
aised
co ce s
about
safety
a d
a imal
welfa e.
Si ce
the ,
the
futu e
of
the
a imals
kept
the e
had
emai ed
u ce tai .“We
a e
putti g
eve ythi g
i to
maki g
this
go
as
smoothly
as
possible
so
we
ca
celeb ate
that
30
lives
have
imp oved
because
of
this
effo t,”
said
Lucia a
D’Ab amo,
p og amme
di ecto
fo
Fou
Paws,
as
quoted
by
Associated
P ess.The
t a sfe
is
the
esult
of
a
lo ge
effo t
to
move
the
a imals
away
f om
the
co ditio s
i
which
they
had
spe t
yea s.
Fou
Paws
fi st
a ived
at
the
site
i
2023,
whe
112
big
cats
we e
still
the e.
By
the
time
the
o ga isatio
was
allowed
to
take
ove
the
site
two
yea s
late ,
o ly
62
emai ed.
Big
cats
head
to
ew
sa ctua ies
The
30
a imals
bei g
moved
will
be
divided
betwee
sa ctua ies
i
South
Af ica
a d
the
US.
Ni e
tige s
a d
six
lio s
will
t avel
to
Lio s ock,
a
Fou
Paws
sa ctua y
i
South
Af ica.
The
sa ctua y
is
home
to
mo e
tha
80
big
cats
a d
has
atu al
e closu es
cove i g
60
hecta es,
o
148
ac es.The
emai i g
eight
tige s
a d
seve
lio s
will
t avel
to
The
Wild
A imal
Sa ctua y
i
Colo ado.
The
efuge
is
located
o
g assla ds
o theast
of
De ve
a d
p ovides
la ge
habitats
fo
escued
lio s,
tige s
a d
othe
a imals.The
jou eys
will
i volve
seve al
stages.
The
cats
t avelli g
to
Colo ado
will
fly
th ough
Chile.
Those
headi g
to
South
Af ica
will
t avel
to
Joha esbu g
th ough
eithe
F a kfu t
o
Amste dam.
Afte
eachi g
Joha esbu g,
they
will
have
a othe
fou -hou
jou ey
by
oad
to
Lio s ock.
Ni e
tige s
a d
six
lio s
will
t avel
to
Lio s ock,
a
Fou
Paws
sa ctua y
i
South
Af ica.
The
t a sfe
has
equi ed
a
lot
of
p epa atio .
Fou
Paws
ha dle s
t ai ed
ma y
of
the
lio s
a d
tige s
to
e te
the
t a spo t
c ates
volu ta ily.
This
mea t
some
a imals
could
be
moved
without
bei g
fo ced
i to
the
c ates.Howeve ,
ot
eve y
a imal
could
be
ha dled
i
the
same
way.
Some
of
the
big
cats
equi ed
sedatio
befo e
they
could
be
t a sfe ed
safely.
Two
tige s
we e
sedated
o
F iday
a d
the
ca ied
by
ha d
i
ca vas
sli gs
befo e
bei g
placed
i side
thei
t a spo t
c ates.Photos
f om
the
ope atio
showed
the
a imals
i side
the
la ge
c ates
as
Fou
Paws
staff
p epa ed
them
fo
the
ext
stage
of
thei
jou ey.
The
cats
we e
the
loaded
o to
t ucks
befo e
bei g
take
fo
ai
t a spo t.
A imal
welfa e
co ce s
The
fo me
Luja
Zoo
had
become
k ow
fo
allowi g
visito s
to
get
u usually
close
to
lio s
a d
tige s.
Visito s
we e
allowed
to
ha dle
the
a imals
a d
pose
fo
photog aphs
with
them.A ge ti e
autho ities
eve tually
shut
the
zoo
i
2020
because
of
co ce s
ove
safety
a d
a imal
welfa e.
At
the
time
of
its
closu e,
about
200
big
cats
we e
livi g
at
the
facility.Whe
Fou
Paws
a ived
at
the
zoo
i
2023
to
look
fo
a
solutio
fo
the
a imals,
the
umbe
had
al eady
d opped
to
112.
That
umbe
fell
fu the
befo e
Fou
Paws
was
allowed
to
take
ove
the
site.
By
2025,
o ly
62
a imals
emai ed.The
o ga isatio
fou d
that
some
of
the
su vivi g
a imals
had
se ious
health
p oblems.
Some
could
ba ely
walk
because
of
obesity,
muscle
loss
o
poo
ut itio .
Othe s
had
de tal
a d
kid ey
disease.
Some
also
had
complicatio s
li ked
to
declawi g,
while
othe s
had
i ju ies
that
had
ot
healed
p ope ly.D’Ab amo
said
the
umbe
of
a imals
that
had
bee
kept
at
the
zoo
was
itself
a
i dicatio
of
the
co ditio s
they
had
expe ie ced.
“That
alo e
shows
the
level
of
ove c owdi g
a d
the
co ditio s
i
which
these
a imals
have
e du ed.”Afte
taki g
ove
the
site,
Fou
Paws
also
bega
wo ki g
with
the
people
who
had
bee
employed
at
the
zoo.
The
o ga isatio
et ai ed
lo gtime
zoo
employees
i
mode
a imal-welfa e
p actices.
It
also
sta ted
imp ovi g
the
diets
a d
medical
ca e
p ovided
to
the
emai i g
big
cats.
The
cha ges
we e
pa t
of
the
wide
effo t
to
ca e
fo
the
a imals
while
Fou
Paws
looked
fo
suitable
lo g-te m
homes
fo
them.Mo e
tha
20
lio s
a d
tige s
still
emai
at
the
fo me
zoo.
Fou
Paws
is
co ti ui g
to
sea ch
fo
lo g-te m
homes
fo
those
a imals.