Across Europe, tighter laws on keeping wild animals in circuses and private homes are leaving hundreds of big cats in limbo. Lions and tigers removed from poor conditions often have nowhere to go. Sanctuaries are full, resources are thin, and animals can spend years waiting for a permanent home. In France alone, roughly 200 former circus animals are stuck on waiting lists.
The situation has worsened since the war in Ukraine, which triggered a wave of abandoned big cats needing urgent relocation. Yet despite the cross-border nature of the problem, EU-level coordination remains minimal. No comprehensive data exists on how many animals require rehoming, making it nearly impossible to design effective solutions.
Zoos, meanwhile, frequently refuse rescues that fall outside their breeding programmes, further shrinking the options.
This cross-border investigation reveals how big cats are falling through the cracks between well-meaning legislation and the harsh realities of enforcement — and the human and institutional failures that leave rescued animals with nowhere to go.
See the stories below.