Charity rescues animals from closed Gaza zoo

(19 Aug 2016) An international animal welfare group is rescuing animals from a zoo in Gaza which it has dubbed "the worst in the world" and is transferring them to better lives abroad. The Khan Younis zoo closed to the public in 2014 and the owner said on Friday the zoo is closing for good and the remaining animals there are being donated because "we don't have the ability to give them anything." Mohammad Eweda said the zoo had not managed to recover from the devastating impact the war there had on the animals. Israel's blockade on Gaza makes living conditions difficult for the population and the Gazan authorities had refused to fund the upkeep of the zoo as the facility did not qualify for any help. The zoo turned to taxidermy to keep its deceased animals on exhibit while another zoo in the strip painted stripes on donkeys to try and make them look like zebras. The Four Paws charity said tortoises, an emu and other remaining animals will be taken to a rescue centre in Jordan and the tiger to a sanctuary in South Africa. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1ec08de060e4f874a7c87fb55b195a46 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork