The Gaza Strip has been accused by the media and animal activists of once having the worst zoo in the world. Two years after the last of the living animals were saved and the controversial Khan Yunis zoo closed, Gaza residents will get to see rare animals through a new app called Virtual Zoo.

The Virtual Zoo app, which is available on Android phones and tablets, was developed by students of the faculty of information technology at the University of Palestine. It contains both domestic and wild animals, including ones that Gazans have not seen before, such as African elephants, polar bears and whales. The students used 3-D techniques that enable users to interact with animals in a forest and allow them to pretend to pet the animals, to touch the trees and discover new species.

Ahmed Abu Musameh, a lecturer and the director of the faculty of information technology, supervises the project. He told Al-Monitor, “The Virtual Zoo relies on augmented reality technology through virtual reality glasses. The application — which can be downloaded to cellphones — shows the animals moving around. Users can enjoy watching different species and types of predators, pets and dense forests.”

He added, “The Virtual Zoo app aims to address the lack of zoos in the Gaza Strip and introduce users to animals that cannot be found there. It is free and suitable for all age groups. It gives children a unique educational environment that enables them to learn the names of the animals and discover their native habitats.”