Mosul's zoo was once home to a host of exotic animals and tropical birds.
But Mosul Zoo found itself on the frontline in the battle between the Iraqi Army and Islamic State (Daesh)– and its inhabitants paid a terrible price.
Only two emaciated animals remain – a bear and a lion – which were found wandering close to their former enclosures in the city’s Nour Park. They are now being cared for by the Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights Protection.
The zoo was used by IS as a staging ground for attacks on Iraqi troops, turning it into a target for Iraqi and coalition airstrikes.
Over three months, while under the extremist group’s control, most of the animals were killed by shrapnel, died of starvation or escaped. One of the animal keepers, named only as Huther, 25, said: "The animals here have had a tough time, like us."
"They have been frightened like us, hurt like us, and killed like us. We used to clean the enclosures each day and a vet visited every week but, when the war started, we couldn’t reach them, first because of Daesh and then because we were scared of the fighting, and every day there were bombs, mortars and drones."
The lion is now being fed by a local butcher, while children visit to throw apples and hand lettuce leaves to the bear.
A pair of bears initially survived by eating their own three cubs – but one later died after being attacked by the lions.
Abu Umar, manager of Mumtaz al-Nour Park, said: "This was such a lovely park before and we had so many visitors. I invested 250 million Iraqi dinars ($212,000) in this park and now look, in just a few months it has been completely ruined."
"We really need vets and maybe animal charities to come and help these two animals," he added.
"But we also urgently need someone to help us deal with all these unexploded missiles because children still play in the park. We would welcome any help here."
