Animals in Gaza zoos dying of hunger, diseases

The African tiger at the zoo in the Gaza Strip was emaciated, its belly shrunken and its striped coat hanging loose. It strode nervously up and down its cage.

"I swear to God the tiger has not eaten for four or five days," said Mohammed Ouida, the owner of South Jungle Zoo. "It needs $20 of food a day."

Once bustling with families bringing their children to see lions, monkeys, crocodiles and ostriches, the zoo is mostly empty now, and Ouida can't generate enough cash to feed his animals.

The same story is playing out across Gaza's six makeshift zoos. Years of conflict, cold winters, long-standing negligence and outbreaks of disease have killed many animals in captivity.

Even in better times, there has often been little awareness of animal welfare in Gaza. In 2013, for instance, two lion cubs died shortly after birth because zoo workers in northern Gaza did not know how to care for them. In another renowned scene captured on film, Gazans used a crane to lift a camel over the border fence from Egypt into Gaza as the animal twitched in the air in agony. South Jungle has even turned to taxidermy to keep its deceased animals on exhibit.

Conditions in Gaza, home to 1.8 million people, have steadily deteriorated since Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, seized control of the territory in 2007 and prompted an Israeli blockade.

"People have a hard time finding food, much less the animals," lamented Ouida, noting that half of the remaining 20 or so animals and birds in his zoo are ill because he also can't afford a veterinarian.

Since the zoo opened in 2007, Ouida and his brothers have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into their business. They once employed 30 workers, and ran a cafeteria serving families and school trippers. These days, Ouida works at a gravel quarry and his two brothers drive a taxi.

The zoo's problems began during the 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014. The zoo was not directly hit, but neither Ouida nor his brothers could reach the site to feed the animals. The African tiger's mate starved to death.