Animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is currently preparing to rescue the big cats from their confinement.  A travelling circus abandoned the now 18-year-old male and 15-year-old female tiger in 2007, asking a local farmer to take care of them temporarily – only to never return. The tigers have since become a family of four. In 2021 authorities became aware of their inferior living conditions. A Four Paws team will travel to San Luis in the coming weeks upon the invitation of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, to examine the tigers and transfer them to Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa.

The private keeping of wild animals is illegal in Argentina, therefore the farmer, who kept taking care of the tigers to his best knowledge, did not inform the authorities immediately. The animals were never sterilised and a series of cubs were born over the years. Therefore, there are four tigers now.

“The train carriage was filthy with excrements and leftover meat and bones for a long time. Fortunately, this is not the case anymore. Tigers need to move, run, play, and bathe. Being locked in a 75m² train carriage and only pacing back and forth for 15 years is not a tiger-worthy life. All those years in such a small space have affected their mental and physical well-being for sure. We have a window of opportunity now to rescue them, and we will,” says Four Paws veterinarian, Dr Amir Khalil, who leads the rescue mission.

When representatives of the responsible wildlife authority, Fauna San Luis, encountered the inferior living conditions of the big cats during an inspection visit last year, they began looking for solutions, knowing they could not rehome the tigers locally. As soon as Four Paws learned about the case, they offered their support and expertise in wild animal rescues and relocations to the authorities.

Wild animals are suffering across the world

“Reveal, rescue, protect – these three verbs define how we operate. We rescue animals such as these tigers, and in doing so and talking about it we reveal systemic problems and legal shortcomings and raise awareness for why these issues matter. An example of such a link is our current ‘Break the Vicious Cycle’ campaign, which reveals that illegal farming of big cats is a reality and a problem. Such actions are crucial to protecting these vulnerable species, and in our highly connected world all of this has an impact on the future of the planet,” says Four Paws CEO Josef Pfabigan.

There are only around 3,900 tigers left in the wild worldwide. Due to a lack of worldwide regulations, the commercial trade of big cats is flourishing. Live tigers are shipped across the world to be kept as pets and abused for human entertainment in circuses, zoos, or for paid interactions. Tigers and other big cat species are killed for their skin, fur, bones, and teeth.

“By rescuing these four tigers in Argentina, we provide a better life for them individually and create awareness for all animals globally to be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding,” says Pfabigan

 The first South American Four Paws mission

Four Paws has offices in 14 countries and wild animal sanctuaries in 11 countries and has been active in many more, including Syria, Gaza, Pakistan, Sudan, and Cambodia. The rescue of the four tigers in Argentina, however, marks the first time the global animal welfare organisation is active in South America.

“Every single programme and project we run to reveal suffering and to protect animals is special, just as every one of our rescue missions is. All our efforts matter for animal welfare worldwide. It is fantastic that the first-ever rescue mission Four Paws conducts in South America takes place in Argentina. Being Argentinian myself I know that I speak for many when I say that righting the wrong that has been done to these animals is a matter close to my heart. We thank the local authorities and all partners who made this possible. We look forward to building on these links, together shaping the future of the animal welfare discourse and agenda, thereby improving the lives of as many animals as possible, today and in the future,” says Luciana D’Abramo, Chief Development Officer at Four Paws.

Statement supplied.