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World

Gaza family's pet lions en route to Jordan sanctuary after being stranded at border crossing

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    In this Monday, June 15, 2015 photo, Ibrahim Al-Jamal, 17, kisses Max, the male lion cub, while sitting inside a car in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. Saduldin al-Jamal had bought the cubs from the Gaza zoo, hit during last summer's Israel-Hamas war. His family would take them to parks or the beach and children — those brave enough — would come up to pet them. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) (The Associated Press)

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    In this Monday, June 15, 2015 photo, lion cubs Mona and Max walk as children run next to them at the beach of Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. Saduldin al-Jamal had bought the cubs from the Gaza zoo, hit during last summer's Israel-Hamas war. His family would take them to parks or the beach and children — those brave enough — would come up to pet them. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) (The Associated Press)

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    In this Monday, June 15, 2015 photo, Palestinians gather around Mona, a female lion cub, while Ibrahim Al-Jamal, 17, her at the main garden in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. Saduldin al-Jamal had bought the cubs from the Gaza zoo, hit during last summer's Israel-Hamas war. His family would take them to parks or the beach and children — those brave enough — would come up to pet them. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) (The Associated Press)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Two young lions stranded in Gaza for the weekend have left the territory ruled by the militant group Hamas and are en route to a wildlife sanctuary in Jordan.

Amir Khalil of British charity Four Paws International said they left Gaza Sunday and are traveling through Israel to Jordan.

A Gaza family bought the lions when they were cubs from a local zoo that was damaged in last year's war between Hamas and Israel. The family kept Mona and Max in their small home in a crowded refugee camp.

Israel said the lions and their entourage showed up at the border crossing out of the blue after it closed Friday, without prior coordination or preparations.

The lions and their handlers checked into a Gaza hotel until the crossing reopened.