Peekaboo Park

What do you do with a zoo stranded in a war zone? For months, as Iraqi forces fought to reclaim Mosul from ISIS, the Montazah Al-Morour Zoo was stuck in the middle. People living in the area had been feeding the stranded animals when they could, even though they could scarcely find food for themselves. As the fighting intensified the humans were eventually forced to abandon the zoo altogether. One by one, the animals starved or were killed – all but a lion named Simba and a bear named Lulu. That’s when Four Paws International came to the rescue. "Even in the worst hardships there are people who care for animals," said Four Paws International veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil. After a number of setbacks Lulu and Simba finally arrived at The New Hope Center, a rescue and rehabilitation facility in Amman. “From now on,” says Dr. Khalil, “they won’t have to be part of this war.”