I watch animals left behind, victims of conflicts I had nothing to do with. If they had not been rescued, they would most likely have died from bombing, crossfire or starvation.
In addition to being mutilated, starved and traumatized, most animals arrive at Almoa without any medical history, further complicating the work of veterinarians. Dana, for example, who is described on the reserve’s website as a calm and intelligent lioness, was not kept with other lions when she arrived. It is a common procedure when there is no information about the pride that the lion was part of.
Unlike other cats, lions live in social groups. Over time, Dana built connections, and today forms a group with Kahraba and Aleppo, who arrived at different times and in different contexts.
But mothers don’t live only with good news. After all, it is a shelter for animals that have been victims of abuse, not a place for children to entertain. In September 2017, weeks after Dana arrived, Four Paws reported that her puppy, Hagar, had died.
Given the painful circumstances in Syria and the changes it has witnessed in recent months, it was a miracle that Dana was able to care for Hajar immediately. We were confident that the cub would survive, although his health condition was worrying. Unfortunately, Hajar’s condition has worsened over the past three days. When the veterinary team at Al-Mouaa noticed that Dana had stopped caring for Hajar, they decided to take him away from his mother and provide him with medical care. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough. Earlier in the day, Hajar closed her eyes forever.
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