At a Gaza zoo, war takes its toll on the animals
Municipal records show that there were a number of zoos in Gaza before the Israel-Hamas war erupted, displaying exotic and wild animals, including lions and eagles.
Children entered a zoo near Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp to discover a lion and chimpanzees languishing in their cages. Many of the animals appeared malnourished, struggling to survive amid shortages of food, medicine, and vaccines. Yet, they endured, largely due to the efforts of zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa. Originally from Rafah, Gomaa fled in 2024 following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
He subsequently relocated the surviving animals across various locations before settling in Nuseirat earlier this year, aiming to provide a source of joy for traumatized youngsters after nearly three years of devastation.
Gomaa expressed to Reuters that initially, people sought survival, but he sought to save the animals. Municipal records indicate that several zoos existed in Gaza before the conflict, housing exotic and wild creatures such as lions and eagles. However, maintaining such establishments now presents significant challenges, particularly in procuring food in a region grappling with food shortages for its human population.
Veterinarian Nidal Fadel revealed that the animals are currently being fed frozen meat, a suboptimal nutritional plan as they would normally consume fresh prey in their natural habitat.
The animals themselves are bearing the brunt of the conflict, sometimes directly. Gomaa had to abandon three lions, multiple crocodiles, and African ostriches when he fled Rafah. Upon his return a few months later, he discovered only the bones of the crocodiles and ostriches. The remaining lion disappeared. Veterinarian Amir Khalil, who has led multiple trips to Gaza by the animal welfare organization Four Paws and rescued other zoo animals, noted that lions can detect sounds and disturbances that humans may overlook. Bombing and continuous conflict generate substantial stress and fear for these creatures.
Nevertheless, the children had better luck with some of the other animals, allowing parrots to perch on their shoulders and smaller monkeys to be petted. This was a rare opportunity for relaxation, even within an enclave still facing regular airstrikes against Hamas, despite a fragile ceasefire. Israel's military, which claims its attacks target Hamas terrorist targets, did not immediately comment on the conflict's impact on civilian facilities, including zoos and their animals.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
