Zoo sells adorable lion cubs to local refugee family to keep as pets

The lion cubs have their own bed to sleep in and even play football at the the family home in war-torn Gaza Strip - but will have to be caged in coming months for safety

The ravages of war haven't stopped one family from adopting an unusual pet - as two lion cubs have been rescued from Gaza zoo by local refugees who have lifted the baby lions from the claws of poverty.Mona and Alex, the adorable two-month-old lion cubs, have been living with refugee Saad Aldeen Al-Jamal and his six children at their home in the Palestinian city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.The 54-year-old father says he bought the cubs from the impoverished Rafah zoo and the unusual pets have become an integral part of his family.

Al-Jamal said: "They're living inside the house just like the children. They eat and drink inside the room and they have a bed that they both sleep on. They also play football."The cubs were born in Rafah zoo and sold when they were just two-weeks-old.

The majority of inhabitants of the conflict-hit city are refugees and poverty doesn't just affect humans but also its animals.Rafah zoo owner, Mohammad Juma, said: "Because of the amount of animals, the bad economical situation, lack of leisure activities and that you don't have enough food or money... this (situation) would make you sell anything you have to save the rest of the animals."The Al-Jamal family might face a similarly tough situation in the near future as the cubs already consume half a kilo of meat every day.The family might be able to make the situation work for now, but once fully grown, lions can weigh more than 400 pounds, or nearly 200 kilograms.

Al-Jamal said that he knew the cubs would eventually become dangerous.“In one month, they will start being kept in a cage for our own safety,” he said.Most of the zoo animals in Gaza have been hauled into the isolated territory through smuggling tunnels linking the territory to Egypt.In 2013, a pair of newborn lion cubs died shortly after they were proudly unveiled by Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

Gaza zoo sells lion cubs Mona and Alex to local family after the summer war in Gaza leaves the zoo impoverished.