Lujan Zoo, located an hour and a half outside Buenos Aires, is not like most zoos. The zoo’s remarkability does not come from the animals inside its property, however. The zoo’s exhibits do not fare from the standard selection (lions, tigers, bears, etc.), and the property itself is run-down compared to many zoos in the United States (dirty footpaths; ducks, geese, and even llamas wandering around the property). What does separate Lujan Zoo from other zoos, however, is the fact that the zoo allows visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with the animals.

Obviously, danger is one of the first concerns on peoples’ minds when they become aware of this unique policy. How is it possible that patrons can pet lions, bottle-feed tigers, and even allow bears to eat food directly from their mouths without getting mauled? Apparently, it is due to the zoo’s method of raising the animals, which revolves around constant interaction with people. The big felines receive the most attention; as soon as new cubs are born, trainers employ a variety of methods in order to reduce the animals’ violent instincts, including using vocal commands to teach the animals to recognize the difference between food and human body parts, as well as raising them in the presence of dogs in the hopes that they model the dogs’ peaceful and obedient behavior. In addition, trainers are always present when guests are interacting with the animals, and the animals are kept fed so that they remain satiated. The training seems to be working: since the zoo opened in 1994, there have been no attacks or other violent incidents involving the animals.

However, not everyone believes allowing humans to interact with the animals is in the best interest of either groups. The Born Free Foundation, an international animal rights group, has started an online petition asking authorities to launch an investigation into the zoo’s practices. The petition states, “No one wants to see animals forced to behave in ways which are abnormal and degrading to them, and no one wants to see Luján Zoo (or any zoo) putting its visitors at risk.” In addition, the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Animals (ADDA) and Association SOS Vida (both animal rights groups) have criticized the zoo for allowing close contact between humans and animals, saying its puts people at risk. Finally, the animals’ unintuitive behavior toward visitors has prompted many to accuse the zoo of sedating the animals.

These are all legitimate concerns, and I’ll admit that I harbored some of them myself when I visited the zoo with a group of friends. I couldn’t believe that it was possible such dangerous animals could act so calm around humans. However, after looking more into the Lujan Zoo’s practices, I believe it is at least plausible the animals’ behavior is due to training and not sedation (although I am of course not an expert). Admittedly, it would be ideal for the animals to be living in the wild. However, according to representatives of Lujan Zoo, many of the animals there are sick, undernourished former house pets people brought into the country illegally and discarded once they became bored with them. Although it would be ideal for the animals to be living in their natural habitat, they can no longer survive in the wild due to being born into captivity. The zoo is their last form of protection.

When I first heard about Lujan Zoo and its unique hands-on policy, any concerns I might have had about its ethical practices were momentarily cast aside in favor of a chance to interact with lions, tigers, and elephants. However, walking around the zoo, my concerns about whether or not the animals were being treated well kept popping back into my thoughts. Although I was satisfied by the zoo’s explanation, others might not be. It is up to you whether or not Lujan Zoo is a must-see attraction, or a cause for concern. http://voluntarioglobal.org