Israeli troops shot and killed zoo animals

[sullivan]

By Ashraf Helmi, Videographer, and Megan Hirons, Photographer
Published: January 25, 2009, 23:25
Gulf News

The Gaza Zoo reeks of death. But zookeeper Emad Jameel Qasim doesn't appear to react to the stench as he walks around the animals' enclosures.

A month ago, it was attracting families - he says the zoo drew up to 1,000 visitors each day. He points at the foot-long hole in the camel in one of the enclosures.

"This camel was pregnant, a missile went into her back," he tells us. "Look, look at her face. She was in pain when she died."

Around every corner, inside almost every cage are dead animals, who have been lying in their cages since the Israeli incursion.

Qasim doesn't understand why they chose to destroy his zoo. And it's difficult to disagree with him. Most of them have been shot at point blank range.

"The first thing the Israelis did was shoot at the lions - the animals ran out of their cage and into the office building. Actually they hid there."

The two lions are back in their enclosure. The female is pregnant, and lies heavily on the ground, occasionally swishing her tail. Qasim stands unusually close to them, but they don't seem bothered by his presence.

As he takes us around, he is obviously appalled at the state of the animals. The few animals that have survived appear weak and disturbed.

"The foxes ate each other because we couldn't get to them in time. We had many here." There are carcasses everywhere and the last surviving fox is quivering in the corner.

The zoo opened in late 2005, with money from local and international NGOs. There were 40 types of animals, a children's library, a playground and cultural centre housed at the facility.

Inside the main building, soldiers defaced the walls, ripped out one of the toilets and removed all of the hard drives from the office computers. We asked him why they targeted the zoo. He laughs. "I don't know. You have to go and ask the Israelis. This is a place where people come to relax and enjoy themselves. It's not a place of politics."

Israel has accused Hamas of firing rockets from civilian areas. Qasim reacts angrily when we raise the subject.

"Let me answer that with a question. We are under attack. There was not a single person in this zoo. Just the animals. We all fled before they came. What purpose does it serve to walk around shooting animals and destroying the place?"

Inside one cage lie three dead monkeys and another two in the cage beside them. Two more escaped and have yet to return. He points to a clay pot. "They tried to hide", he says of a mother and baby half-tucked inside.

Qasim says that his main two priorities at the moment are rebuilding the zoo and taking the Israeli army to court. For the first, he says he will need close to $200,000(Dh734,000) to return the zoo to its former state - and he wants the Israelis to cover the costs. "They have to pay me for all this damage."

We ask him why it's so important for Gaza to have a zoo. "During the past four years it was the most popular place for kids. They came from all over the Gaza Strip. There was nowhere else for people to go."

[gurdgieff]

i know that animals have more good rightousness in there heart than people.I always had dogs and I feed the foxes that come into my garden at night.
I feed the birds .
Even to the point that if the gaza zoo massacre was reported,there would have been more protests about that.than protests about the.children slaughtered in gaza recently yesterday.
so let us tell all our neighbours about this slaughter of animals by israel.we have proof of what they are.
all people have a soft heart for animals like theire dog and cat.
This would be a heavy blow against isreal if it was reported.
I cant remember seeing this reported even on press tv.
is press tv going the same way as aljaseera

[sullivan]

Even to the point that if the gaza zoo massacre was reported,there would have been more protests about that.than protests about the.children slaughtered in gaza recently yesterday.
so let us tell all our neighbours about this slaughter of animals by israel.we have proof of what they are.

It is true that many people would react more to the way animals are treated than the way people have been abused, and this is wrong. However, not to care about the plight of caged animals in a battlezone is also wrong. Also, the way a people treat animals is often indicative as to how they'll treat each other.