16 caged tigers stuck in border limbo for 2 months; banned in Paraguay, barred from Argentina

ASUNCION, Paraguay – Imagine being stuck in a cage for two months while going through customs. That’s the border limbo that 16 tigers have faced in Paraguay because Argentine officials refuse to approve their paperwork for entry.

The tigers used to perform in a circus. Their owner Oswal Wasconi said he decided to ship them to Argentina after Paraguay’s environmental ministry banned live animal circus acts.

Biologist Estela Gomez is the ministry’s wildlife director. She says the tigers are all certified to be in good health, and blames the Argentines for blocking their entry because Bengal and African tigers are protected species.

Aides to Argentina’s quarantine office director Raul Castelli said Friday he was in a meeting and could not immediately explain the holdup.

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