Blood tests, eye checkups and ultrasound exams are on the cards for nine animals, five big cats among them, that have been trucked into Turkey in a rescue from their damaged zoo in Aleppo in strife-torn Syria.
Three lions, two tigers, two bears and two hyenas survived more than six years of intense clashes at the abandoned Aalim Al-Sahar (Magic World) zoo to arrive at a rehabilitation center in Turkey’s western province of Bursa.
The project was a joint effort between the Turkish environment ministry and international animal charity Four Paws.
“To go to the border to see how difficult it is, to make some tests, to bring one cage out — it is impossible,” said Amir Khalil, who led the charity’s efforts.
“So to bring wild animals, it was a long, long way.”
Efforts to find new homes for the animals will kick off after they complete rehabilitation, to help recover from their ordeal.
“We will check the blood, we will do ultrasound and we will do an eye exam, and then we will have a real idea of what is the situation and status,” said wildlife veterinarian Frank Goeritz.
“And then we can continue our mission to bring them to a final destination.”
In a second stage of the rescue, two lions and two dogs are soon to be evacuated to Turkey, officials added.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey has taken in about 3 million Syrian migrants, becoming home to the world’s largest refugee population.
Paws, jaws and claws: checkups await animals rescued from Aleppo zoo
Paws, jaws and claws: checkups await animals rescued from Aleppo zoo
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
