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.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Gaza Zoo Reopens as Starving Animals and Children Seek a Moment of Relief
In Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, a small zoo is giving children a rare moment of relief amid the devastation of war. Malnourished lions, chimpanzees, parrots and other animals are being cared for by zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa, who moved surviving animals from Rafah after fleeing Israeli military operations in 2024. Shortages of food, medicine and vaccines have left many animals weakened, while veterinarians warn that constant bombardment has caused…
War, hunger, displacement takes toll on Gaza's zoo animals too
A lion barely raises its head as children peer through the bars. Nearby, chimpanzees sit listless in their enclosure. At a makeshift zoo near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, most of the animals on display are malnourished and worn down by the same shortages of food and medicine that have gripped the territory’s human population. That any of them are alive at all is largely down to one man, zoo owner Mahmoud Gomaa, who has spent nearly…
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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