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Where do Gaza’s lions sleep tonight?

posted on: Mar 29, 2015

Caring for animals in the Gaza Strip took a wild turn last month when the owner of Fat’hi Zoo in the beleaguered city of Rafah sold two lion cubs to a family — in a nearby refugee camp.

The Jamal family, which named the cubs Bobbi and Max (female and male, respectively), is now the talk of the town, so to speak, in the crowded Al-Shabura refugee camp.

Locals say the cubs’ presence has elevated spirits in the camp — a welcome change for residents who have suffered eight years of a crippling economic blockade and a seemingly endless cycle of war with Israel.

“Our neighbors are so envious of us having them,” said Ibrahim al-Jamal, 18. “They always come to visit to play and take pictures with them.”

Saad al-Jamal, Ibrahim’s father, said he purchased the cubs for two reasons: His grandchildren were visiting the zoo every day to watch them play, and he wanted to support the cash-strapped zoo.

Source: america.aljazeera.com