16-year-old Lucy was the last tiger at Mendoza Zoo, which has turned into an eco park and animal residents have been relocated to sanctuaries to start new lives.
She arrived in 2011 as part of an animal exchange with a zoo in Buenos Aires.
Lucy is now at The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minnesota, which provides a natural habitat for wild cats who need new homes.
The Wildcat Sanctuary accepted two lions from Mendoza in 2018 due to import restrictions for lions being more lenient than for tigers.
The zoo’s closure and a greater focus on animal rights mean The Wildcat Sanctuary hoped to find homes for Lucy and her companion, Violeta.
Years later they found that the pair were still in Mendoza so spent the next three years securing permits, navigating jurisdictions and raising funds.
Violeta died while waiting, which made staff more determined to help Lucy.
Lucy’s journey started with a 750 mile road trip from Mendoza to Buenos Aires where she flew on an American Airlines Boeing 787-8 from Ezeiza International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
She was met in New York by sanctuary staff who joined her on the 1,200 mile drive to the sanctuary in Minnesota.
Indy Bolina, Head of Global Sales at American Airlines Cargo, says, “It was an honour for American to provide our services to aid in Sandra’s relocation back in 2019 and we are just as proud to have been able to play our part in the re-homing of Lucy to a more suitable environment. Our teams worked in tandem with staff from the sanctuary team to make sure everything ran like clockwork and we look forward to following Lucy’s story.”