Gaza Zoo Animals Suffer Starvation and Trauma Amid Ongoing Conflict
The ongoing security crisis in the Gaza Strip has severely impacted local zoos, leaving most animals suffering from extreme hunger due to shortages of food, water, and veterinary care. One such zoo near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza houses a lioness barely able to look at visitors through her cage bars, alongside lethargic chimpanzees. Many animals endure malnutrition and weakness, surviving largely thanks to the efforts of Mahmoud Gomaa, the zoo owner who relocated surviving animals multiple times amid escalating hostilities before settling at the current site earlier this year.
Gomaa initially operated a zoo attraction in the southern city of Rafah but fled due to military activity. He reopened the zoo hoping to provide a rare source of joy for traumatized children after nearly three difficult years. Before the recent "Sword of Iron" conflict between Israel and Hamas, Gaza had several zoos exhibiting exotic animals including lions and eagles. Veterinarians warn that operating such facilities now is extremely challenging, primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining fresh food in an area struggling to feed its human population. Veterinarian Nidal Fadel described the current feeding of frozen meat as a disastrous and improper diet for predators accustomed to fresh prey.
The animals also bear the psychological toll of the conflict. Amir Khalil, a veterinarian with the animal welfare group Four Paws, noted that lions can detect disturbances humans might miss, and the ongoing bombings exacerbate their stress and fear. Gomaa recounted leaving behind three lions, several crocodiles, and ostriches when fleeing Rafah; months later, only the bones of the crocodiles and ostriches remained, while the lions disappeared.
Despite the hardships, some animals in Nuseirat provide moments of relief for local children, who interact with parrots and small monkeys. However, the fragile ceasefire has not ended frequent airstrikes targeting militant sites, which continue to affect the helpless animals. Visitor Karam Al-Mazin lamented the lack of safe play spaces for children and animals alike. Most animals in Gaza’s zoos were smuggled through tunnels from Egypt, and as of 2015, over 45 lions lived in improvised facilities or private homes, often cared for by untrained staff. The situation has since deteriorated significantly, leaving the remaining animals in dire conditions.
