Mosul is a city in Northern Iraq which has been a focal point for the Iraqi Government’s battle to reclaim the city from Islamic State militant forces. The situation in the beleaguered city remains drastic, more than 180,000 civilians have fled since February but hundreds of thousands of people trapped there and babies suffering from malnourishment so severe that doctors can’t treat them by feeding them enough to stop their hunger because it might make their condition worse.
Simba, a lion and Lula, a bear, were abandoned at Muntazah al-Nour zoo in eastern Mosul where they were found ‘covered in dirt and excrement’ in February. No other animals had survived after the zoo was nearly completely destroyed in the battle for the eastern part of Iraq’s second largest city earlier this year.
After multiple delays, because of administrative red tape, Simba and Lula were finally rescued by Four Paws and flown to Jordan where they will be treated. Amir Khalil, the vet who was in charge of this rescue mission, has said that both animals were suffering from malnutrition and associated complications when he initially saw them in February.
He first attempted to get Simba and Lula out of the country two weeks afterwards but the mission was aborted when the lorry carrying the animals was stopped at a checkpoint where they were detained until new permits could be acquired.
As the plane that would carry the animals prepared to take off yesterday, Dr Khalil told AFP: ‘they are refugees. It’s out duty to take them to a sanctuary’. He added: ‘this is a beginning of a new life for the animals. From now one, they won’t have to be part of this war.’
Four Paws International has embarked on similar rescue missions in the Gaza Strip, provided care for animals after severe flooding in Serbia and offered disaster relief in Chennai.
Mosul remains the last urban stronghold of the Islamic State and authorities are battling to regain control from them street by street. While countries in the West still argue amongst themselves about accepting refugees, it’s reported that 750,000 people are still trapped there ‘on the brink of starvation’.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.