War's forgotten: Tripoli Zoo animals suffer, lacking food, water

Source: CNN

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- The residents of zoos are often the first to be neglected when cities are hit by man-made or natural disasters.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson discovered a dire situation Tuesday at the Tripoli Zoo, struggling to function as a nationwide conflict rages around it.

Robertson found the gates locked and was told the zoo was under renovation -- that there were no animals there.

But a big cat's roar told a different story, and Robertson followed the sound -- underscored by the echo of gunfire in the distance -- to find enclosures holding a tiger, lions, giant tortoises, hippos, hyenas, bears, monkeys, deer, emus and more.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/30/libya.tripoli.zoo/

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If you know how to help at all, please do so.

Please post any information or links that may help others help these animals.

Do I know how to help? Yes, but it involves balaclavas, boltcutters, and a heaping dose of bravery. Also, they need to have expertise that I don't know nor have, nor know how to express.

Or by just reporting it, someone with the power and money to do what needs to be done will.

It was well discussed at D.U. at the time, as well as this story:POSTED AT 12:10 PM EDT Saturday, Sep. 20, 2003
'Drunk' U.S. soldier shoots rare tiger in Baghdad zoo
Associated Press

Baghdad — A U.S. soldier shot and killed an endangered tiger at the Baghdad zoo after it bit another soldier who had drunkenly reached through the bars of its cage to feed it, a security guard said Saturday.

The soldiers had been drinking beer when they entered the zoo Thursday night after it closed, said the guard, Zuhair Abdul-Majeed. After the man was bit, the other American shot the tiger three times in the head and killed it, he said.

The head of the zoo confirmed the story in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

"The soldiers arrived in the evening with food and beer, accompanied by a group of Iraqi police officers," Adel Salman Musa said. "One of the soldiers, who the Iraqi police said had drunk a lot, went into the cage against the advice of his colleagues and tried to feed the animal, who severely hurt his arm."

The tiger tore off one of the soldier's fingers and mauled his arm. Another soldier immediately fired at the animal and killed it, Mr. Salman Musa told AFP.More:
http://www.nativecanadian.ca/Native_Reflections/Troops_kill_tiger.htm

After all, she's a citizen of the Imperialist forces... (snark)

To translate the site in English, click on the Union-Jack flag.

http://www.fondationbrigittebardot.fr/site/accueil.php

There's a contact page. Let's use it.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals WWW international site:

http://www.wspa-international.org

Send them the link to the CNN International report.