#WATWB: Saving Animals in Mosul Zoo

Something that has troubled me for a long, long time. What is the fate of the animals in conflict zones? When humans clash in heedless violence and bullets whizz in the air and bombs drop like rain, and there is destruction everywhere . . . what happens to the animals entrusted to us? Animals trapped in zoos and cages, abandoned in the buildings that are later on turned into rubble?

We need animals just as need one another. People can get the chance to escape but not the animals. Refugees never come with the animals which had been in their care. And we never hear the governments say, “Evacuate the animals as well”, before they start bombing.

Today, for WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST #WATWB, I bring you the story of my new hero, DR. AMIR KHALIL, who braved ISIS in order to save the animals trapped in Mosul Zoo. Dr. Khalil works with the animal charity called FOUR PAWS based in Vienna.

Having to leave his scared family behind, uncertain but remembering his duty to the unfortunate animals of earth, Dr. Khalil lead his team of equally wonderful people into Mosul, even as the terrifying Islamic State was issuing warnings that anyone wishing to stay alive should vacate the city immediately. They managed to save a lion and a bear, the only two surviving animals in the ruined zoo.

Credit: BBC

Today is the second celebration of the WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST #WATWB which is carried out every last Friday of the month, and which aims to spread love and positiveness in this vulnerable world. A celebration of heroes who can still restore our faith in humanity, especially in this period when our world seems to be full of endless series of horrible happenings.

The co-hosts include:  Belinda Witzenhausen,  Inderpreet Uppal,  Mary Giese, Simon Falk and myself.

To sign up for We Are The World Blogfest, please see the guidelines below.

~~~GUIDELINES~~~

1. Keep your post to below 500 words, as much as possible.
2. All we ask is you link to a human news story on your blog on the last Friday of each month, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Something like this news  about a man who only fosters terminally ill children.
3. Join us on the last Friday of each month in sharing news that warms the cockles of our heart. No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD Badge on your sidebar, and help us spread the word on social media. Tweets, Facebook shares, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. More Blogfest signups mean more friends, love and light for all of us.
5. We’ll read and comment on each others’ posts, get to know each other better, and hopefully, make or renew some friendships with everyone who signs on as participants in the coming months.
6. To signup, add your link in WE ARE THE WORLD Linky List