Palestinian gunmen broke into the Gaza zoo and kidnapped a lioness and two Arabic speaking parrots, report Palestinian media.
The kidnap took place two weeks ago, but the police asked the zoo manager not to go public with it until they found the thieves. After the police failed in finding the thieves, zoo manager Sa’ud A-Shawa made the robbery public.
According to A-Shawa, it was unclear why the robbers stole Sabrina, who consumes at least three kilograms of meat a day. “This lioness cannot be bought or sold on the black market,” he added.
A-Shawa has offered a reward of $1,000 for the return of Sabrina and the two parrots.
According to the reports, four men armed with Kalashnikovs broke into the zoo and overpowered the guard. They nabbed the two white parrots and then threw a blanket over the head of the lioness. Their attempt to capture a second lion failed after the animal reportedly proved too fierce for them.
Palestinian sources speculated the lion was taken by a criminal gang who wanted the animal as a trophy “show of force.”