Veterinary teams and animal welfare workers are poised to go to the aid of the zoo animals left in Baghdad as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.
"Not a lot is known about the status of the animals, although more is being learned each day," said David Jones, director of the North Carolina Zoo. Zoo professionals originally thought there might be several hundred animals at El Zawra, the city's main zoo, but now believe the number may be only several dozen.
"It seems like only the big cats and some of the larger animals, like bears, survived. A lot of animals were stolen and quite possibly eaten during the looting," he said. "That certainly occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan, where a number of those animals were taken and put in the pot. We've had reports of camels wandering around; they'll be ok, they can just nibble on whatever's around."
Source: National Geographic