"Two brown bears and a tigress were the first animals to be rescued from the former Lujan Zoo in Argentina and transferred to European sanctuaries as part of an unprecedented rescue operation led by the Four Paws global animal welfare organisation. Bears Gordo and Florencia and the tigress Flora left the country in a priority operation aimed at ensuring their physical and emotional recovery after reportedly years of inadequate conditions at the former Lujan Zoo, which has been closed since 2020. "It is the first fruits of the hard work done here since September. It was a lot of work done in relation to medical assessment, taking care of the animal, and improving their health condition," said Amir Khalil, Four Paws' head. The bears were to travel to the BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa in Bulgaria, while the tigress was transferred to the FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands. Both sanctuaries are part of the international wildlife protection network managed by Four Paws. "I'm very excited to see them in their new home, their final home. And I'm really very, very curious how and when they will wake up in this wonderful place in Bulgaria and that they will get the treatment and the requirements that they deserve for their species," Khalil noted. Florencia, aged 17, lived in a small concrete enclosure with an inadequate pool. Gordo, 16 years old and weighing 350 kilograms, was confined in a tiny cage with no regular access to the outdoors and also suffered from severe obesity. Flora, 10 years old, had ingrown claws and a fractured canine tooth, causing her intense pain and difficulty walking. During a veterinary assessment carried out in November 2025, the team determined that all three animals required immediate attention. Despite this progress, more than 60 big cats continue to be held in the former Lujan Zoo under inadequate conditions. According to Four Paws, they are working intensively to relocate them as part of a memorandum of understanding with the Argentine government to end private ownership and commercial trade in big cats in the country."