Gaza Strip zoo declaws lion cub

A zoo in the war-battered Palestinian enclave of Gaza is being accused of cruelty to animals after it declawed a lion to allow visitors to play with it.

The 14-month-old lioness, named Falestine, is supposed to be placid enough to meet visitors to the park in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

“I’m trying to reduce the aggression of the lioness so it can be friendly with visitors,” said Mohammed Jumaa, 53, the park’s owner.

It is the latest unconventional animal care practice in Gaza, where a few dilapidated zoos compete for business.

Fayez al-Haddad, the veterinarian who operated on Falestine, watched as she was taken out of her cage near local residents, including children.

“The claws were cut so children could play with her,” Haddad said.

There is no specialized animal hospital in Gaza so the operation was carried out at the zoo, which lacks proper facilities.

The Paw Project, an NGO which rehabilitates big cats, charges that declawing is inhumane and can maim the felines.