Animals are Being Displaced at a Gaza Zoo

In an exodus like a modern-day Noah’s Ark, Fathi Jumaa, the 60-year-old owner of Rafah Zoo, led a convoy of animals fleeing the Israeli invasion of Rafah last month. Alongside nearly one million human refugees, parrots, baboons, and lions were transported in a desperate bid for safety to Khan Younis, a city already battered by the ongoing war.

Jumaa’s escape was fraught with challenges. With insufficient time and resources, he was forced to leave behind several animals. He released dogs, eagles, and exotic birds, while twelve turtles and three lions were abandoned in their cages amidst the combat zone. “They will die because they don’t have food or water,” Jumaa lamented to NPR, highlighting the dire circumstances as he called for international aid.

The plight of these animals is a poignant reminder of the broader crisis engulfing Gaza’s zoos, which have long struggled under the weight of conflict and economic hardship. Historically popular family destinations, these zoos provided basic care for their animals, but years of warfare have severely compromised their operations. Jumaa’s plea for help resonated with Four Paws, an animal welfare organization based in Vienna that has a history of rescuing animals from conflict zones, including Gaza.

Dr. Amir Khalil, a veterinarian with Four Paws, has orchestrated multiple rescues in Gaza. His first mission in 2014 involved evacuating traumatized animals from the Al-Bisan Zoo during a 50-day conflict between Hamas and Israel. In 2016, he spearheaded a rescue from the Khan Younis Zoo, notorious for its appalling conditions, where animals were found in deplorable states.

Khalil’s most recent rescue from Gaza in 2019 involved the same Rafah Zoo that Jumaa reopened against an agreement made after Four Paws had evacuated 47 animals from it. The strained relationship between Jumaa and Four Paws underscores the complex interplay of compassion, survival, and desperation in war-torn regions.

Now, displaced and living in a tent in Khan Younis, Jumaa and his family continue to care for the surviving animals with limited resources. They share their humanitarian aid supplies with the animals, feeding them from their own rations. Despite the hardships, Jumaa’s commitment to his animals remains steadfast, as he works to keep them alive in the face of adversity.

The fate of the three lions left in Rafah remains uncertain, a grim testament to the chaos of war. However, Khalil holds onto hope, emphasizing that even in conflict, the safe passage of animals can symbolize a bridge between enemies, fostering moments of kindness and shared humanity. “Animals can open borders, can build the bridges between the enemies. Everyone can put [down] his weapon,” Khalil says, advocating for the power of compassion in times of strife.

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• Gaza Man Continues to Try and Rescue Animals
• The War in Gaza is Starving Zoo Animals

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