At the Zoo

In this picture taken Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, a domestic cat - an unlikely edition to an aspiring zoo, is seen climbing its cage at the Marah Land Zoo in eastern Gaza City. There's little to do for entertainment for Gaza's 1.4 million residents because of a two-year Israeli and Egyptian blockade, and the territory's zoos became a popular form of past time. In 2008 the Marah Zoo was a fully functioning zoo, but during Israel's January offensive, 90 percent of the animals died. Due to restrictions of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade - new animals can not be obtained - unless they are transported through the tunnels. As a result, there are not as large a variety of animals as before, but Gazans still flock to the zoo, due to the lack of sources of entertainment in the Gaza Strip.