Two lion cubs have been rescued from a small flat in Gaza and released into a big cat sanctuary in Jordan.
Cape Town-based organisation Four Paws, which led the emergency rescue, said the two 5-month-old cubs, Shalom and Salam, were freed into New Hope Centre, a temporary outdoor enclosure at a transit station in Jordan on Sunday.
Their final destination is the Al Ma’wa Nature and Wildlife sanctuary where they will be released later this year.
Dr Amir Khalil, leader of the emergency rescue team, said: “It was very hard for the father of the family, who bought the lion cubs from Rafah Zoo in March, to say goodbye, but we are very happy that he finally sees reason. A small flat is not an appropriate place for wild animals and they pose a danger to all humans in their surroundings.”
The cubs spent most of their time huddled together closely.
“They didn’t really realise the whole turmoil evolving around them,” Khalil said.
The international animal welfare organisation said it had worked on the mission, funded by an Austrian couple, for weeks.
The team reached Gaza from Amman via Israel on Thursday and despite the available entry permits there were long waiting periods at the border.
The team had to spend their first night in the so-called “no man’s land” area.
“The next morning, a small part of the team, authorised by Hamas, entered the Gaza Strip to negotiate with the owner of the lion cubs in the refugee camp for one last time, and collect the young big cats.”
At the planned exit to Israel on Friday morning, Israeli officials abruptly closed the border.
“After long negotiations with Hamas, all team members were allowed back to Gaza, where they spent the night at a hotel.”
On Sunday afternoon, the team was allowed to pass into Israel and proceed to Jordan.
“A first medical check showed that the cubs suffer from a skin disease. The female (Shalom) additionally has a swelling on the back of her head, which probably came from a stroke.”
The organisation said the smuggling of big cats into Gaza was a “major problem”.
They estimated there were about 40 big cats there.
“Even Shalom’s and Salam’s parents are said to have been smuggled to Rafah Zoo as cubs, by underground tunnels from Egypt into Gaza. However, military conflict last year saw the Egyptian army destroy many of the tunnels.”