4 tigers rescued from Argentina get new home in South Africa

Four Bengal tigers rescued from years of captivity in a train carriage in Argentina have been released into open-air enclosures in South Africa

BETHLEHEM, South Africa -- Four Bengal tigers rescued from years of captivity in a train carriage in Argentina have been released into open-air enclosures in South Africa.

After a journey of more than 70 hours from Argentina, the tigers stepped from their crates into open-air enclosures at the Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa's central Free State province.

Visibly curious about their new homes, the tigers quickly surveyed the boundaries of their fenced-in areas, about 80-square meters (yards) in size, and chowed on chunks of meat put out as a welcome treat.

The tigers' arrival in South Africa on Saturday was the culmination of years of planning by the international animal welfare organization Four Paws, said Dr. Amir Khalil, mission leader and veterinarian.