At a Gaza zoo, war takes its toll on the animals
As children walked into the zoo near Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, they found a lion barely looking back at them through the bars of its cage and chimpanzees sitting listlessly in their enclosure.
Children entering the Gaza zoo near the Nuseirat refugee camp found a lion barely reacting through its cage bars and chimpanzees sitting quietly in their enclosure. The animals were malnourished, suffering from a lack of food, medicine, and vaccines. However, they were still alive, primarily due to the efforts of zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa. Gomaa had originally run the attraction in the southern city of Rafah but had to flee when Israeli troops attacked the area in 2024.
As the conflict raged, Gomaa moved the surviving animals from town to town before settling in Nuseirat earlier this year, reopening the zoo to provide a semblance of normalcy for traumatized youngsters following nearly three years of destruction. Gomaa told Reuters that initially, people were searching for ways to survive, and he was looking to save the animals more than himself.
The war has presented numerous challenges for those attempting to keep zoos open, according to vets and animal experts. One significant hurdle is securing food in a region struggling to feed its human population. Currently, the animals are being fed frozen meat, which is a subpar nutritional plan, as in nature, they consume fresh prey. The animals themselves are bearing the brunt of the war, sometimes directly.
When Gomaa fled Rafah, he left behind three lions, several crocodiles, and African ostriches. A few months later, he returned and discovered only the bones of the crocodiles and ostriches. Three of the lions he had locked in their cages had disappeared. Additionally, the conflict's sound and sight cause immense stress and fear for the animals. Lions, in particular, can detect disturbances that humans might not notice.
In Nuseirat, the surviving lion barely acknowledged the visitors. However, the children had a better experience with some other animals, allowing parrots to perch on their shoulders and smaller monkeys to be petted. This rare opportunity provided children with a brief respite from the constant airstrikes and rubble, tents, and tents that now dominate the area.
Despite a fragile ceasefire, Israel's military continues its attacks, primarily targeting militant locations, and has not responded to inquiries about the impact of the conflict on civilian facilities such as zoos and their inhabitants.
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