A zoo keeper strokes Marjan, a 50 years-old African male lion, sitting in his cage in Kabul's destroyed zoo November 15, 2001. Marjan has lived in the zoo for the last 47 years and a few years ago he killed a man who entered his cage, the brother of the killed man, to revenge Marjan, lobed a hand grenade in the cage, the lion survived the blast but lost both his eyes.

A wild cat which limps, a blind lion, a bear with a bloody nose and an aged eagle: life is as tough for the animals in Kabul zoo as it is for the people of this war-ravaged Afghan capital.

Mardjon the lion is the only big cat in this zoo in the middle of the city. No longer young, he lounged in the drought-hit garden of his small enclosure. "Seven years ago he was hit by a grenade which exploded right in front of his head. The shrapnel pierced his eyes. Since then he has been blind," said zookeeper Sher Aqa Omar.

Mardjon's breakfast on Sunday was 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of camel meat, the cheapest lion food on the market. "I have enough for two days. After that I will have to find more," said Omar.

Enclosed near Mardjon is a collared bear with a bloody snout. One of the rare visitors to the zoo injured the animal with a stick.

"The veterinary surgeon is not able to cure it, but is trying to ensure that at least it does not get any worse," the zookeeper said.

A number of bears were killed, the birds of prey escaped and the sole Indian elephant owned by the zoo died. "When the fighting was at its worst, the owner of the zoo locked Mardjon up in a basement each night and fed him directly in his mouth," Sher Aqa said.

Only 17 species of animal remain in Kabul's zoo, the inter-fighting from 1992 to 1996 followed by the five-year rule of the Taliban movement having taken its toll on the animals. That the zoo has been in the front line of the warfare is evidenced by the bullet-riddled walls and the state of the small animal museum in the middle of the park, which was bombed and then destroyed by fire.

Omar added that many of the animals had been psychologically disturbed by the fighting in the city and, more recently, by the US bombing campaign. "Two weeks ago, those two did not want to leave their little hideaway at the bottom of their cage," Sher Aqa said, pointing to two monkeys.

"I hope that the future government will unblock funds that will allow this place to regain its previous state," he added.

A visit to the zoo is, however, a better bet than an outing to the city's other main attraction, the cultural museum, which has been bombed, mined, and finally plundered.

(Agencies)