Four Paws set on rescuing lion cubs from Gaza camp
PHOTOS of the lion cubs in the middle of the refugee camp in the Gaza Strip went around the world: in March, a father-of-six bought the cubs, then just two months old, from Rafah Zoo as a treat for his grandchildren. The new “pets” quickly pushed the family to their financial and physical limits.
Dr Amir Khalil, leader of the Four Paws emergency team, has spent weeks seeking a solution for the cubs, named Mona and Max. The strict travel and access regulations, and dealing with the cubs’ owner, have proved very challenging for the team.
In the starting blocks for a new operation in Gaza, Four Paws is confident that it will soon get the go-ahead to step into the Gaza Strip. A team of vets and logistics staff will soon travel to Rafah to rescue the two cubs from this irresponsible private keeping.
“The big cats are now five months old, and they’re living with the family – which includes small children – under one roof ! That’s why we want to get them out of there as quickly as we can, not least for the people’s safety.
“Both cubs have already grown quite a bit bigger and stronger since their arrival in the refugee camp, and they now represent a significant danger for the inhabitants of the camp,” said Khalil.
Once there, the team will negotiate with the owner and appeal to his common sense. As soon as the lions are handed over to Four Paws, they will be transferred to the New Hope Center, the transit station of Al Ma’wa Wildlife Sanctuary in Jordan.
Although Gaza is small, there are about 40 big cats there. Smuggling of exotic animals is a major problem. Even Mona and Max’s parents are said to have been smuggled to Rafah Zoo as cubs, by underground tunnels from Egypt into Gaza. However, military conflict last year saw the Egyptian army destroy many of the tunnels. Travel formalities hold up rescue operations.
The continuing conflict in the Gaza Strip makes travel in and out extremely difficult. For some time now, Four Paws has been seeking official permission for the rescue. This is not its first operation in the Near East: in September last year, the organisation carried out an emergency admission in the heavily damaged al-Bisan Zoo in the north of the Gaza Strip, and three lions were transferred to a rescue station. In April, a Four Paws emergency team carried out a relief operation to provide medical treatment and food to the animals in the rundown Khan Younis Zoo.
Around the world, countless thousands of big cats are forced to live and suffer in circuses, badly run zoos or in private hands. Many are kept in extremely cramped conditions, incorrectly or insufficiently fed, ill or exhibit behavioural disorders. Four Paws aims to improve the situation for these fascinating but dangerous wild animals.
One of the facilities run by the organisation is the unique Big Cat Sanctuary Lionsrock in South Africa, which offers a species-appropriate home to over a hundred lions and tigers.
With the #FOURPAWSgowild campaign, people concerned with animal welfare bring into focus both animal suffering and solutions for it. Under the guise of entertainment (circuses), education (zoos), medicine/tradition (healing substances made from tiger bones), and sport (trophy hunting in Africa) thousands of big cats in Europe, South Africa and the US lead miserable lives in appalling conditions.
Visit www.four-paws.org.za for further details about the Four Paws campaigns and various fundraising initiatives at http://bit.ly/ 1wURxMGht?
Miles is the director of FOUR PAWS South Africa