Tiger taken from ‘world’s worst zoo’ arrives in South Africa

The group of foreign vets have taken measures on Tuesday to evacuate the last surviving animals from the Khan Yunis zoo, dubbed “the world’s worst” since it became public previous year that the zoo was “crudely mummifying the animals that died in their care and displaying them”.

Two turtles, two eagles, two porcupines, a pelican, an emu and a deer arrived late on Wednesday near Amman after travelling from Gaza via Israel, said Amir Khalil, a vet from the charity organising the transfer.

“We are happy that we were finally able to close down Khan Yunis zoo”.

Volunteers with Four Paws International preparing animals from the Khan Yunis Zoo in the Gaza Strip for evacuation to Jordan, Aug. 23, 2016. For him, accommodations were made at FOUR PAWS’ Big Cat Sanctuary Lions Rock, located in Bethlehem in the Free State.

The Khan Younis zoo has made headlines in the past for the hard conditions under which the animals are forced to live. “Over the past 2 years, we have transferred more than 5 adult lions, young lions, a horse and other animals”. The horrendous conditions in the Gaza zoo had been making headlines, and the owner had asked Four Paws for help, which it provided in food and medical checks, along with earlier rescues.

The tiger, Laziz, was kept in a three square meter cage alongside a taxidermied tiger.

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The cost of transporting the animals from the Gaza Strip to Jordan and South Africa amounted to 40,000 euros.

All that will remain of the zoo are the stuffed carcasses of some the animals that died of starvation.

The proud big cat and the zoo’s last 14 other animals have been given clear passage out of war-scarred Gaza for better lives in other countries.

Palestinian Mohammad Oweida, a zoo owner, shows stuffed animals that died during the 2014 war, in Khan Younis.

Laziz is anaesthatised and in a crate to be transported. “I brought these animals from Libya, Sudan, Egypt and even South Africa to Gaza”.

The almost two million residents of Gaza are also suffering and find it hard to get permits to travel to Israel, which has maintained a blockade on the enclave for a decade.

Thanks to the efforts of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Defense Ministry Crossings Authority and global and Palestinian representatives, special cages, veterinary equipment and medicines were brought into the Gaza Strip to facilitate optimal veterinary treatment of the animals before the actual transfer.