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Gaza Zoo Still Attracts Children

Despite repeated closures, financial difficulties and the loss of expensive animals during times of war, Gaza’s zoo continues to function, writes Asmaa al-Ghoul.
Shadows of people are cast against the water as a crocodile enters its enclosure at a zoo in the northern Gaza Strip November 6, 2012. A crocodile on the run from a Gaza zoo for the past 18 months has finally been captured, police said on Tuesday.The 1.8 metre (6 foot)-long reptile was spotted several weeks ago in sewage pools in the northern Gaza Strip, and villagers complained he had been eating their livestock. Police called in fishermen, who netted the crocodile on Monday. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Ta
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The roar of the lioness sparked both fear and joy within the children visiting the Khan Younis (South Forest Park) Zoo in Gaza. The moment the she started roaring, they ran to her enclosure, asking: “Is she hungry?”

Ahmed Kawareh, one of the zookeepers, told them she was. He then turned to the adults and whispered, “It’s mating season, and there are no male lions to keep her company.”

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