47 Animals from Gaza's Rafah Zoo Were Rescued
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM FourPaws
April 2019

Animals rescued included five lions, a hyena, several monkeys, wolves, emus, cats, dogs and exotic birds.

Wolf, caged alone...

We managed to save more than 40 animals from Rafah Zoo. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported this mission. We'll keep you updated what happens next so you can be part of the freed animal's journey into their new lives—stay tuned!

Declawed Lioness, Stuffed Animals and Frozen Lion Cubs

Over 40 animals were suffering in Rafah Zoo, Gaza. At the beginning of 2019, Gaza's oldest zoo attracted worldwide attention. Four lion cubs froze to death there due to the harsh weather and poor keeping conditions.

Declawed lioness

Only a few weeks later, a 14-month-old lioness was permanently mutilated by the brutal and unprofessional removal of her claws. Almost 150,000 people demanded immediate action—and fortunately we were able to follow that call.

What Do We Know About Rafah Zoo?

In 2004, the zoo in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip was almost completely demolished. Some of the animals were killed, stuffed and are on display at the zoo.

Our Past Actions in Gaza

FOUR PAWS has been active in Gaza since 2014 and has already evacuated and closed down two zoos—Al-Bisan zoo and Khan Younis zoo—in the region. The former zoo inhabitants were transferred to FOUR PAWS' own sanctuaries.

The zoo in Rafah is well known to us. In 2015, the owner of the zoo sold the two lion cubs Max and Mona to a local who gave them to his grandchildren. We confiscated the cubs and brought them to Al Ma'wa for Nature & Wildlife sanctuary in Jordan.

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