Lioness saved from the horrors of Aleppo gives birth to cub...
Four Paws A lioness rescued from the war-torn carnage of a Syrian zoo has given birth to a cub
Dana the lioness was one of the last animals brought to safety from Aleppo’s Magic World amusement park in a fraught operation that critics described as “mission impossible”. Salvation came just in time for the heavily pregnant big cat. Four Paws, the international animal welfare group, managed to get a team into one of Syria’s most brutalised cities in its long civil war and bring out five lions, two tigers, two Asian black bears, two hyenas and two dogs.
That rescue tally has now increased by one to 14 animals after the architect of the mission, Four Paws veterinarian Dr Amir Khalil gave an update on the operation that saw the shell-shocked creatures brought across the border to Turkey and then on to Jordan. Only hours after Dana was airlifted to safety and released in Jordan’s Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife’ animal sanctuary she went into labour and gave birth to her cub. Her second unborn cub did not survive. “The birth of the cub named Hajar is another little wonder,” said Dr Khalil today. “We really want to thank Royal Jordanian for pushing back the flight and waiting for all animals to be on board, otherwise Dana would have given birth in a less appropriate environment which could have ended dramatically.
FOUR PAWS Dana the lioness was one of the last animals brought to safety from Aleppo’s Magic World
“The condition of the lioness and her cub is good considering the circumstances. “It is important that Dana gets the medical attention and rest that she needs. We are already blessed to have not only saved 13 animals from Syria but 14.”
The birth of the cub named Hajar is another little wonder Dr Amir Khalil
Dana was one of the small collection of “traumatised and emaciated” animals left forsaken at Aleppo's Magic World of Animals, a shell burst away from some of the fiercest fighting that the conflict has witnessed. Three million people have also fled across the Turkish border to escape fighting that has seen the might of Russia’s air force and troops loyal President Bashar al-Assad bombard anti-government forces with tons of bombs and shells over four destructive years. The ancient city, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, has been dubbed Syria’s Stalingrad.
FOUR PAWS Hajar was born only hours after his mother arrived at the sanctuary
Amid this devastation, the remaining exhibits of its zoo had endured the sound of warfare and the starvation that comes from being cut off from the world. It also meant an anxious time for the security experts who ferried the animals to safety in special crates out of the war zone. “The last weeks were nerve-racking and exhausting for the animals and our team as well,” said Dr Khalil. “We were all pushed to our limits but the arrival of the animals in Amman and the birth of the healthy cub mean we are celebrating another milestone of our rescue mission."
Facts about lions Wed, August 10, 2016 Today is World Lion Day. Mark the occasion with our pick of 15 things you probably didn't know about these shaggy-haired big cats. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 15 In the wild, lions will live for anything between 12 and 16 years. In captivity, they can survive for as long as 25 years
While the sanctuary near the Jordanian capital of Amman, which is jointly run by Four Paws in partnership with the Princess Alia Foundation, will be the final stop for most of the animals, the tigers are to live out their days at a Dutch big cat centre. Four Paws founder Heli Dungler said: “Many people called this rescue mission ‘Mission Impossible’, but we proved them wrong. Now, nothing stands between the animals from Syria and a better future.”
FOUR PAWS 'The condition of the lioness and her cub is good considering the circumstances' said Dr Khalil