Shocking
pictures have emerged of dozens of animals starving to death in a zoo in
Yemen, forcing them to resort to cannibalism to survive. Lions,
leopards and other animals can be seen with weeping wounds as they
feast on members of their own prides at the park in Taiz, southern
Yemen. Photos after the cut.
The 280 animals living in the zoo have been all but forgotten since armed conflict began in the country in March 2015. The United
Nations say war in Yemen is estimated to have left 21.2 million people -
82 per cent of the population - requiring some form of humanitarian or
protection assistance.
Taiz
Zoo has now become the focus of a brave rescue effort by several
international volunteer groups via a Facebook campaign, to help some of
the 20 lions and 26 rare Arabian leopards caged at the site.
As these
pictures, show the male lions have lost fur from rubbing the bars of
cages and many of the animals show signs of malnutrition.
Chantal
Jonkergouw, on behalf of the SOS Zoo and Bear Rescue, said: 'Arabian
leopards are an endangered species and they are starving to the extent
that one male has started eating the corpse of his female companion.
'One of the leopards is pregnant and in the past five months, 11 lions and six leopards have already died.
'As
we are taking stock of all the animals at the zoo and capture this in a
detailed list with the numbers per species, the daily food and water
need as well as the medical needs, we currently have a massive 281
animals to be in the zoo.
'On
top of the felines, we also have lynx, hyenas, the endangered oryx,
snakes, crocodiles, baboons, owls, parrots, emus, falcons, buzzards or
vultures.'
Ms
Jonkergouw said that although food, water and veterinary care were
delivered on February 13, there is still a long way to go to save the
animals.
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