DOZENS of stricken animals have been moved out of "terrible conditions" at a zoo in Gaza by shocked animal welfare campaigners.

They say the 47 animals, including lions, monkeys, peacocks and porcupines, have been taken to safety from Rafah Zoo near the border with Egypt.

They were sedated for the 190-mile journey to their new home in Jordan via Israel, which gave its permission for the transfer.

The animal welfare group Four Paws international carried out the relocation, which also included dogs, cats, foxes and 10 squirrels.

Fathy Jomaa, owner of the zoo in southern Gaza, blamed a decade of Israeli-led blockades on the narrow coastal enclave for leaving him unable to properly feed and care for his animals.

Jomaa had come under intense criticism by animal care groups after a series of recent deaths and mishaps.

Four lion cubs died from cold during a storm in January. A monkey killed another, and a porcupine died more recently of unknown causes, said the owner.

Earlier this year he de-clawed two young lions so that zoo visitors could safely pose for selfies with them.

Now only the birds remain at the site.

Two of the lions saved from the sickening animal attraction will eventually be moved to a reserve in South Africa.

Four Paws veterinarian Amir Khalil, who led the rescue mission, said cages at the Gaza zoo had become too small to house the animals and their offspring.

"It is a tough decision, I feel like I am losing my family. I lived with some of those animals for 20 years," Jomaa told Reuters, saying that economic hardship left him with no choice.

"I hope they find a better place to live."

The head of the Land Crossings Authority at Israel's Ministry of Defence, Shlomo Saban, said in a statement they "used every means at our disposal to help transfer the animals as quickly as possible".

Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza for security reasons after the Islamist group Hamas took control of the territory in 2007.

The World Bank says the blockade has reduced the territory, home to 2 million Palestinians, to a state of economic collapse.

Four Paws is an international animal welfare organisation with headquarters in Vienna, Austria.Founded by Heli Dungler in 1988, the organisation strives to help animals in need with sustainable campaigns and projects.

� Bogdan Baraghin | FOUR PAWS12

� Bogdan Baraghin | FOUR PAWS12

� Bogdan Baraghin | FOUR PAWS12

 

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