Twin lion cubs die in Gaza zoo days after birth

Hamas-run Bissan zoo supervisor blames Israel for lack of needed supplies to care for celebrated felines, AFP reports.

Gaza lion cub 370 (photo credit: YouTube Screenshot)
Gaza lion cub 370
(photo credit: YouTube Screenshot)
Two lion cubs born in a zoo in the Gaza Strip died Thursday two days after their birth.
“The lions named Fajr and Sijil died today due to a deterioration of their health at birth,” Shadi Hamad, supervisor of animals at the Hamas-run Bissan park told AFP.
The twin felines, named in reference to the conflict between Hamas and Israel last November, were born Tuesday in the Bissan zoo after their parents had been smuggled into the coastal enclave from Egypt.
According to Hamad, the death of the animals resulted from "a lack of experience and resources for the birth and treatment of cubs".
The report also cited the zoo worker as blaming Israel's blockade of the Strip for the lack of food and medicine needed for such a situation.
“We had tried to contact the relevant authorities in Egypt, but these are blockade conditions,” AFP quoted Hamad as saying.