Vienna, 23 May 2023 – On 21 May, two confiscated tigers from Argentina safely arrived at Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife in Jordan after a 60-hour transport including two flights. Despite the poor conditions they lived in for many years, both of the big cats arrived in good health. An expert team from global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS together with the Argentinian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development rescued the five and 18-year-old tigers from an illegal private breeding farm in Balcarce in Buenos Aires province on 18 May.

The FOUR PAWS expert team was led by Dr Amir Khalil who recalls the neglected scenery of the breeding farm: 

Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife: A home for rescued wild animals in Jordan

Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife was established in 2011 as a partnership between FOUR PAWS and the Princess Alia Foundation. It provides a regional solution for rescued wild animals and offers emergency relief to animals from crisis areas in the Middle East. The sanctuary functions as a lifelong home for rescued big cats, bears, wolves and hyenas, as well as for a number of primates, birds and reptiles that were kept in inadequate conditions in zoos, circuses or private captivity. The environment created for the animals offers the highest standards with regards to species-appropriate and spacious living conditions, veterinary care and security.

In 2022, FOUR PAWS successfully conducted its first-ever rescue mission South America: The rescue of four tigers, who spent over 15 years stuck in a train carriage in Argentina, and their transfer to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa. Read their story here.