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Bears and Tigress From Shuttered Luján Zoo Depart Argentina for European Sanctuaries

The transfers launch the second phase of a Four Paws mission to rehome dozens left after the Luján zoo's closure.

Overview

  • Gordo and Florencia, two brown bears, and Flora, a tigress, left Ezeiza on cargo flights after a controlled road transfer via Ruta 6 with veterinary checks in Las Heras.
  • The bears’ flight was scheduled around 15:10 Monday with arrival in Sofia late Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday road transfer to Belitsa Bear Sanctuary for quarantine and rehabilitation.
  • Flora is traveling separately to a specialized big-cat facility in the Netherlands, identified by officials as Felida Big Cat Sanctuary.
  • Four Paws leads the operation with support from the Fondation Brigitte Bardot, training the animals to enter crates voluntarily and completing the move without anesthesia.
  • The departures follow a first-phase health assessment of 62 animals at the closed site, including dental surgeries and diet changes for the bears, with further relocations planned.