FW: News- U.S. Soldiers Save Lions at Baghdad Palace

April 28, 2003

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" R.A. Kirkpatrick " <raaz-k

Sat, 26 Apr 2003 12:15:31 -0500

FYI

Lisa Marie [myREBAdog]

Saturday, April 26, 2003 10:25 AM

Z--AA AnimalsInNeed

News- U.S. Soldiers Save Lions at Baghdad Palace

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. troops came to the rescue Friday of six young

lions and two cheetahs languishing uncared for in the private zoo of Saddam

Hussein's eldest son, Uday.

Under the watch of a dozen armed soldiers, the animals were coaxed into

cages with lumps of raw meat and taken by military truck from the fenced

compound in Uday's section of his father's Baghdad palace to a new home in

the city's main zoo.

Uday, known for his love of fierce animals, fast cars and beautiful women,

has owned several lions, tigers and cheetahs, some of them gifts from

friendly foreign governments. Like his father, he disappeared without trace

during the U.S.-led invasion.

South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who organized the operation

with Iraqi and Kuwaiti zoo workers and U.S. soldiers, said the patch of

grass lined with cages was " cruelly unsuitable " for the lion cubs and

cheetahs.

" It's nothing more than a macho game reserve, " he said. " The animals are in

a bad way. "

U.S. soldiers have secured Baghdad zoo since it was looted of most animals

in the mayhem after Saddam's rule collapsed.

The thieves left the zoo's lions and tigers alone, but the big cats went

unfed for days and U.S. soldiers shot dead four hungry lions when they

escaped from their enclosure last weekend.

Anthony said a lioness at one of Uday's other residences had given birth to

cubs which were in danger of being crushed by male lions in a cage too small

for them.

" The problem is we don't have the key, " said Lawrence. " We're going to have

to go and break the lock. "

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