FOUR PAWS had managed to anaesthetise lion Simba and bear Lula and load them into transportation crates.

Lion Simba and bear Lula sent back to the zoo

An attempt to rescue the last two remaining animals at Mosul Zoo has been threatened with failure after the rescue team was stopped at one of the checkpoints and prevented from exiting.

Yesterday (28 March), a rescue team from the International welfare organisation FOUR PAWS managed to anaesthetise lion Simba and bear Lula and load them into transportation crates.

But now the mission has come to a stop, with the team being told they are unable to leave Mosul with the two rescued animals.

“Despite the expressed support of the military, we were detained at the border. In fact, only 200 meters separated Lula and Simba from safety,” said FOUR PAWS vet and head of mission, Dr Amil Khalil.

The Iraqi military has returned the animals to the zoo while the FOUR PAWS team has had to leave Mosul.

Dr Khalil will now begin negotiations with representatives of the government with the hope of securing the safe passage of the animals out of Mosul. If negotiations fail, Simba and Lula will spend the rest of their lives in misery.

Mosul Zoo was hit by bombs and received major damage during an armed conflict between Iraqi and IS forces over a month ago.

The zoo was home to around 40 inhabitants before the conflict. The bombings killed numerous animals and many tropical birds, monkeys and rabbits escaped. Some animals, including three bear cubs, were eaten by hungry predators or died of starvation.

FOUR PAWS was the first NGO to receive permission to enter Mosul. 

Image (C) FOUR PAWS