Refugee Cubs Brave Border Spat For New Life

Two refugee lion cubs from Gaza are set for a new life in a Jordanian wildlife sanctuary - but the plans were almost scuttled after a spat with border officials.

Max and Mona spent months living in the Rafah refugee camp with owner Saed Eldin al-Jamal but, with the help of a British charity, they were offered places at the refuge.

The trip was not a smooth one, however, with the Israeli side of the border at Erez closed by the time the cubs and their transporters reached it.

With Hamas guards then refusing to allow them back into the Palestinian territory, it meant the cubs were stuck for several hours in no-man's land between Gaza and Israel.

But Hamas eventually allowed the group back in and the crated cubs and their entourage were able to check into a hotel in Gaza until the Israeli crossing reopens on Sunday.

The cubs were bought by Mr al-Jamal more than a year ago from a zoo in the Gazan town of Rafah after their zoo was hit during last summer's war between Hamas and Israel.

It is believed the cubs' parents had been smuggled into Gaza through a tunnel with Egypt nearly three years ago.

Mr al-Jamal, a Palestinian refugee, said staff at the small South Jungle Zoo were worried they would not be able to afford to buy enough meat for the growing cubs.

So female cub Mona and her brother Max became famous across the Palestinian coastal strip as their new owner took them everywhere and brave children would pet them.

The cubs lived in Mr al-Jamal's one-storey home inside a crowded refugee camp, where they were treasured playmates of his children and grandchildren along with the scores of visitors who came to see them.

There were concerns that the cubs would soon become lions and start to hurt people and British charity Four Paws International tried for months to convince Mr al-Jamal to let them take the lions to a wildlife sanctuary in Jordan.

Mr al-Jamal relented and gave the cubs up for about $2,500, with some of his family members crying as they said goodbye to the animals.

According to Four Paws International, there are still 45 lions in Gaza living in makeshift zoos or homes and often being looked after by untrained staff.