Zoo Violently Declaws 14-Month-Old Lioness So Visitors Can Play With Her

Apr 03, 2019

A zoo in Palestine has been making headlines for all of the wrong reasons. In a desperate attempt to generate business, zoo officials declawed a baby lioness to encourage visitors to visit for a chance to play with the wild animal. This inhumane act took place a few weeks ago in the zoo facilities. The zoo didn't take any safety or sanitary precautions.

The Rafah Zoo is located in a war-torn area known as the Gaza Strip. They have been suffering from low visitor rates and thought that this stunt would generate more traffic. While the incident did draw more attention to the zoo, all of the responses are in outrage and disbelief.

The lioness, known as Falestine, is only 14-months-old. She was sedated by the zoo officials and placed on an operating table. Fayez al-Haddad, the zoo's veterinarian, used nothing but a pair of shears to cut off the poor lioness' claws. The veterinarian wasn't able to complete the operation in one sitting. Falestine was brought back to the operating room to endure another round of torture. The Four Paws organization has equated this procedure to chopping off a human's fingers up until their knuckles. The zoo's owner and the veterinarian have remained unaffected by the event.

It is clear that animal welfare is not high on the list of priorities at the Rafah Zoo. The establishment opened its doors to the public nearly two decades ago. It lies on the border with Egypt in the southern portion of the Gaza Strip. In 2004, the Rafah Zoo had to close its doors because of a bulldozing operation performed by the Israeli army. Even before that incident, many animals had died through bomb attacks. The zoo reopened two years ago through the efforts of the current owners.

Despite the zoo's reopening, the living conditions for the animals did not improve at all. Four Paws claims that the Rafah Zoo should not be in operation due to their lack of standards. The tales of torture don't stop with Falestine. Four newborn cubs were neglected in the cold and left to freeze to death outside. Nearly 50 other lion cubs were kept in poor enclosures. In addition to several lions, the Rafah Zoo also has wolves, monkeys, emus, exotic birds, and a hyena.

What do you think about this story? Do you agree that the Rafah Zoo treats its animals horribly? Let us know in the comments and be sure to spread the word about this terrible incident!