Zoos and the horrors of war

According to press reports, two traumatised lions have been moved from Gaza to a new home in Jordan. Let me apologise in advance for dwelling on the plight of animals when more than 1,200 people, including hundreds of innocent children, were killed in the 50-day onslaught on that beleaguered enclave.

Gazans, according to a report on the Wildlife News website, were very fond of their zoo. Then the Israelis bombed it, killing 80 of the animals. Twenty others survived the carnage but were left for days without adequate food, water, or veterinary care. Their enclosures were so badly damaged that the unfortunate creatures couldn’t be controlled within them, so cleaning had to be suspended. Some are said to have died from filth-related diseases. Traumatised by the explosions, many became aggressive, a threat to their keepers. ‘Carcasses were scattered all over the place’, Dr Mil Khalil told the London Independent. He is a veterinary surgeon with the international animal charity Four Paws. As soon as hostilities ceased, his team came to the rescue. It established a supply of fresh water and began repairing the damaged compounds.

One of the zoo’s three lions had been killed. A male and a pregnant female had survived but keeping big cats in Gaza was no longer viable. The pair were anaesthetised, medically examined, loaded into crates and transported to a compound at the Al Ma’wa Wildlife sanctuary 40km from Amman. It’s a temporary measure, pending the construction of a permanent home. Now, the Four Paws team is helping the other victims; monkeys, cats, wolves, pelicans, birds of prey and a crocodile.