Gaza Zoo Reopens in Nuseirat Despite War

Gaza’s Nuseirat zoo, now run by Mahmoud Gomaa, has continued operating despite war, relocating livestock from Rafah after Israeli attacks and reopening this year to offer a measure of normalcy for traumatized children. The facility’s animals are largely malnourished and weakened by severe shortages of food, vaccines and medicine, with owners forced to rely on frozen meat in a humanitarian crisis that has drawn protests from vets about improper nutrition. Some animals did not survive the displacement, including reports of lions left behind in Rafah and the bones of crocodiles and ostriches found later, underscoring the toll of the conflict on wildlife. Gomaa’s steadfast effort to keep the zoo open and protect the animals stands in contrast to the broader disruption facing Gaza’s zoos, where feeding and care are precarious as fighting persists. Visitors—especially children—continue to seek a rare moment of relief at the zoo, highlighting the role of the sanctuary as a symbol of resilience amid devastation. The story is a unified portrait of a community attempting to cope with war through a fragile, under-resourced wildlife refuge that remains dependent on donor and volunteer support to survive.