Starving, the last survivors of the zoo held by ISIS thugs: Only a bear and a lion remain at Mosul Zoo after the other animals were killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped 

  • The animals were found wandering close to their enclosures in Nour Park, Iraq
  • They are being cared for by the Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights
  • The zoo was used by IS as a staging ground for attacks on Iraqi troops

By Mail Foreign Service

Published: | Updated:

It was once home to a host of exotic animals and tropical birds.

But Mosul Zoo found itself on the frontline in the battle between the Iraqi Army and Islamic State – and its inhabitants paid a terrible price.

Only two emaciated animals remain – a bear and a lion – which were found wandering close to their former enclosures in the city’s Nour Park. They are now being cared for by the Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights Protection.

An emaciated lion (pictured) and bear are the last animals left in Mosul Zoo, Iraq. The malnourished animals were found wandering near their enclosures in Nour Park 

An emaciated lion (pictured) and bear are the last animals left in Mosul Zoo, Iraq. The malnourished animals were found wandering near their enclosures in Nour Park 

The pair being cared for by the Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights Protection. Most of the animals have been killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped

The pair being cared for by the Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights Protection. Most of the animals have been killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped

The lion is now being fed by a local butcher, while children visit to throw apples and hand lettuce leaves to the bear

The lion is now being fed by a local butcher, while children visit to throw apples and hand lettuce leaves to the bear

The zoo was used by IS as a staging ground for attacks on Iraqi troops, turning it into a target for Iraqi and coalition air strikes.

Over three months, while under the terror group’s control, most of the animals were killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped. One of the animal keepers, named only as Huther, 25, said: ‘The animals here have had a tough time, like us.

‘They have been frightened like us, hurt like us, and killed like us. We used to clean the enclosures each day and a vet visited every week but, when the war started, we couldn’t reach them, first because of Daesh (IS) and then because we were scared of the fighting, and every day there were bombs, mortars and drones.’ 

The lion is now being fed by a local butcher, while children visit to throw apples and hand lettuce leaves to the bear.

A pair of bears initially survived by eating their own three cubs – but one later died after being attacked by the lions.

A lion in its cage looks at a dead lioness in a grave at Mosul's zoo, where animals were left to starve to death in photos that emerged in February 2017

Earlier this month, pictures of Mosul zoo showed emaciated animals who were left to starve to death. Pictured, A lion in its cage looks at a dead lioness in a grave at the zoo

Like much of the city, the once-peaceful animal park has been destroyed by months of fighting

The zoo was used by IS as a staging ground for attacks on Iraqi troops, turning it into a target for Iraqi and coalition air strikes

A starving bear peeks his mouth and nose through the bars of his cage at Mosul Zoo (February 2017)

A starving bear peeks his mouth and nose through the bars of his cage at Mosul Zoo

Abu Umar, manager of Mumtaz al-Nour Park, said: ‘This was such a lovely park before and we had so many visitors. I invested 250million Iraqi dinars (£170,000) in this park and now look, in just a few months it has been completely ruined.

‘We really need vets and maybe animal charities to come and help these two animals.

‘But we also urgently need someone to help us deal with all these unexploded missiles because children still play in the park. We would welcome any help here.’

Some of the animals starved to death, while others escaped or were killed in the fighting (February 2017)

Abu Umar, manager of Mumtaz al-Nour Park said he invested 250 million Iraqi dinars (£170,000) in the zoo. Children play in the park even though there are unexploded missiles

A volunteer feeds a lion at Nour Park in Mosul's zoo. Of the four lions in the park, only two of the animals had survived by February 2017

A volunteer feeds a lion at Nour Park in Mosul's zoo. Over three months, while under the terror group’s control, most of the animals were killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped

A boy shows his hand red and scarred from a monkey scratch when he was attacked by one three weeks ago (February 2017)_

A boy shows his scratched hand after he was attacked by a monkey three weeks ago. Mr Umar said they needed vets to come and look at the lion and the bear

IraqISIS

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