SOUF, Jordan (AP) – Thirteen animals that had been trapped in harsh conditions in a zoo in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo were evacuated on Friday to a wildlife reserve in Jordan.
Five lions, two tigers, two bears, two hyenas and two dogs were being released into the Al-Ma’wa reserve near the town of Souf in northern Jordan.
The Austrian-based animal charity Four Paws had rescued the animals from the Magic World zoo in Aleppo with help from Turkey. The group said the zoo’s owner, who fled Syria after the 2011 outbreak of civil war there, granted permission to take the animals.
Some of the animals are fine, while others suffer from blindness as well as heart, liver and kidney disease, said Dr. Amir Khalil, a vet for the charity.
One of the lions is due to give birth within two weeks, he said.