The Baghdad Zoo reopened last Sunday. There was an article (Believe it or not) in the Sheboygan Press about the reopening.

Apparantly there was not a big attendance because of the fear of violence on the streets but a few dozen people, including several U. S. Soldiers came to see the animals. The zoo population is still low but includes the remaining animals that originally were in the zoo plus those that survived from the various private zoos in several palaces owned by Saddam and his family.

According to the article, the zoo was a very popular place prior to the war. It was usually so crowded there was little room to stand. However, it is a beginning and the animals are now being cared for. The zoo seems to need a lot of updating, as its cages are the old concrete cells and the keepers are not all that well trained in animal nutrition and/or care. But it is a beginning and there are several wildlife, conservation and zoo organizations behind the cause of maintaining and updating the facility and further training the keepers for the citizens of Iraq.

I'll keep updating as I find news.

Mary