Escaped lions shot dead by US troops.

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Escaped lions shot dead by US troops.

 

04/22/2003

The Guardian

P5

Copyright © 2003 The Guardian

 

Four starving lions who escaped from Baghdad zoo were shot dead by US troops

after two of the animals charged at them.

 

The lions, who had not been fed for days, escaped from their outdoor pen

through a crumbling wall at the weekend, said Sergeant Matthew Oliver, of

the

3rd Infantry Dvision. " Two of them charged our guys, " he added. " We had to

take them down. "

The zoo was home to seven lions and two tigers, and hundreds of other

animals,

nearly all of which were stolen or let loose by looters.

 

Only the big cats were left, apparently too fierce for the looters. Two

tigers

and three lions remain in the zoo.

 

" The zoo keeper came the next day and he was pretty cut up, but I think he

understood, " said Sgt Oliver.

 

The surviving animals, who went unfed for more than 10 days in the confusion

that followed the collapse of Saddam Hussein's rule, now have regular meals

of

meat donated by Kuwait.

 

Mandor the Siberian tiger, the property of Saddam's eldest son Uday, looked

plumper and healthier than he did last week, while Sudqa the lioness

appeared

contented in her cage.

 

The zoo is protected by US soldiers and four armoured personnel carriers.

Sgt

Oliver said zoo staff came daily to feed and care for the animals.

 

Two brown bears, released by looters, wandered back to the zoo at the

weekend. Sgt Oliver said Baghdad residents had also returned two hybrid

dogs, but otherwise the compound was a sad, desolate place. Monkeys,

bears, horses, birds and camels have disappeared from the zoo. Reuters.

 

 

 

Folder Name: Asia Conservation Tiger

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