Rescued from Despair: Laziz Finds New Life in a Sanctuary 1,000 Times Bigger Than His Zoo Cage

Laziz will now live out his days on the veldt of South Africa with the sun on his back and the sights and sounds of 18 other freed tigers in enclosures all around him

In a heartwarming tale of rescue and redemption, Laziz, a once-captive bear, has found a new lease on life in a sanctuary that dwarfs the confines of his previous zoo cage by a staggering 1,000 times.

The last tiger of Palestine - rescued from a crumbling zoo in August - has taken his first joyous leaps to a new life at an enclosure 1,000 times the size of his hell-hole cage

Laziz’s journey from despair to freedom began when he was rescued from a life of captivity, where he endured years of confinement in a small, barren enclosure. The contrast between his former living conditions and his new sanctuary is nothing short of remarkable.

Laziz remained in a squalid cage at the zoo in the Gaza Strip  ever since he was brought through a smuggling tunnel from Egypt as a cub

Now residing in a sprawling sanctuary, Laziz has acres of lush forest, ponds, and open spaces to roam freely, exhibiting natural behaviors that were suppressed during his time in captivity. The sanctuary provides him with the opportunity to explore, climb trees, and forage for food, activities that were once mere distant dreams for him.

Aged around nine now - no-one is quite certain - he spent the last two years of his life at the zoo near Gaza City living amid the bleached bones of the other animal inmates who had gradually died off

The transformation in Laziz’s demeanor since his rescue is palpable. Gone are the days of listless pacing and despondency. Instead, he now exhibits signs of happiness, curiosity, and contentment, basking in the newfound freedom that his sanctuary home offers.

He sat in his cage day after day, teased by the children who came up close to his bars to throw nuts and stones at him. At night there was no cooling dip in a water bath - something that all tigers enjoy

Laziz’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience and adaptability of animals when given a chance at a better life. It underscores the importance of sanctuaries in providing a safe haven for animals in need, allowing them to heal, thrive, and rediscover their innate wildness.

Laziz was fed mostly on chicken carcasses and rotten fruit: foodstuffs which gave him few of the nutrients he needs to thrive
In August in an operation dubbed Operation Noah's Ark the Mail witnessed the rescue of Laziz and 13 other creatures by the international animal welfare charity Four Paws
Within hours of arriving at the Lion's Rock Big Cat Sanctuary 250 miles from Johannesburg, Laziz was delighting the rangers and vets who will care for him until he died
The Daily Mail was granted exclusive access to Laziz when he took his great walk to freedom in the land of Nelson Mandela this week
Paws used to filthy sand combined with a meagre diet of the wrong kind of food left Laziz lethargic and nervous: an apex predator uncertain of his own strengths, seeming almost frightened of his own shadow cast in the afternoon glare
Dr Amir Khalil inspects one of the mummifed animals that sat next to Laziz's cage during his time in the Gaza zoo
Laziz was able to jump around for the first time as all 300lbs of rippling feline flesh was suddenly supported on his back legs as he stretched to get at the nourishment denied him for so long
Laziz roams free at Lionsrock Game Reserve
Most of the animals - deer, porcupines, a pelican, tortoises among them - that we rescued went to a wildlife sanctuary in neighbouring Jordan. But for Laziz, there was one more journey to take after the truck ride from Gaza to Israel
When the hatch went up on his hectare-sized enclosure into an adjacent feeding area, Laziz jumped as if for joy to get to the beef strewn around for him to enjoy
As Laziz continues to flourish in his expansive sanctuary, his story stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration, demonstrating the transformative power of compassion and the boundless capacity for animals to reclaim their lives when given the opportunity.