At a Gaza zoo, war takes its toll on the animals
Mahmoud Gomaa says he reopened the zoo to give children a rare respite as animals remain weakened by food and medicine shortages.
- Mahmoud Gomaa reopened a zoo in Nuseirat, central Gaza, earlier this year to provide traumatized children a place to enjoy after nearly three years of conflict and destruction.
- Gomaa previously operated the facility in Rafah, fleeing in 2024 when Israeli forces attacked and occupied the area. He then moved surviving animals between towns before securing the Nuseirat site.
- Shortages of food, medicine, and vaccines have left animals malnourished and weak. Veterinarian Nidal Fadel said feeding frozen meat is a "catastrophe" and "wrong nutritional plan" because predators need fresh prey.
- Children interact with parrots and monkeys at the zoo, finding rare moments of relief. Visitor Karam Al-Mazin said there is "nothing except rubble, stones and tents," making the facility essential for youngsters.
- Veterinarian Amir Khalil of Four Paws said bombing and constant conflict create "enormous stress and fear" for animals sensitive to disturbances. Israel's military did not respond to questions about the conflict's impact on civilian facilities.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Al-Monitor
At a Gaza zoo, war takes its toll on the animals
By Mahmoud Issa and Nidal al-MughrabiGAZA/CAIRO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - 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.Many of the animals were malnourished, weakened by shortages of food, medicine and vaccines. But they were still alive, largely thanks to the efforts of zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa.
Despite the difficulties, a zoo reopened in Nuseirat to offer a rare moment of distraction to children traumatized by the conflict
Gaza Zoo Animals Suffer Amid War's Devastation
When children arrive at the zoo near Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, they often see a lion staring vaguely through the bars and chimpanzees sitting listlessly in their enclosure. Many animals are undernourished and weakened due to shortages of food, medicine, and vaccines, yet they persist, largely thanks to the efforts of zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa. […] The post Gaza Zoo Animals Suffer Amid War’s Devastation appeared first on Digital Phablet.
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