While building a wildlife hospital at a zoo in Israel, developers came across an interesting find: two ancient stone coffins called sarcophagi. Archeologists believe they could belong to husband and wife. A couple who have chosen to spend their afterlife along with the elephants and giraffes in the zoo.

Veteran safari workers present at the time said that the coffins had been found years ago in the area of the safari’s parking lot. At the time, the sarcophagi were moved to a location near the veterinary clinic and the African savanna zone, but over the years they were forgotten and became buried under sand and thick vegetation.

Till death do us part at the zoo

When work on a new wildlife hospital began a few days ago, the contractor working in the area began digging and suddenly found the coffins. Based on the stones and their ornate decoration, the sarcophagi were intended for people of a high status who were evidently buried near the Safari Park.

According to Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists, the sarcophagi are roughly 1,800 years old and date from the Roman period. They are ornamented with symbolic discs – to protect and accompany the soul on its journey to the afterlife – and flower garlands, often used to decorate sarcophagi in the Hellenistic period as well.

Between the garlands are oval blanks, which the archaeologists believe were originally intended to be filled with a customary grape-cluster motif, but for some unknown reason the work remained unfinished.

The sarcophagi, made of local stone – probably from the Judean Hills or Samaria – are locally-produced imitations of the prestigious sarcophagi made of Proconnesian marble from the Turkish island of Marmara.

Found together, the two sarcophagi bear identical ornamentation and they may have been made for a husband and wife, or for members of the same family. Maybe they wished their afterlife to be in the zoo? 

The exact provenance of the sarcophagi is unknown, but they were probably buried near the Safari Park, in the region of Messubim – the site of ancient Bnei Brak in the Roman period, known to us from the Passover legends. 

The wealthy owners of the sarcophagi, buried with their personal grave goods, had no idea that the coffins would find a place of honor alongside giraffes, elephants and a bird nursery.

They were transferred to their rightful location in the Israeli National Treasures repositories.

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After trying the conventional methods of trying to heal a sick tiger with a persistant ear infection, animal therapists were called into the zoo try some alternative methods. “Pedang” who is a 14 year old Sumatran tiger at the Ramat Gan Safari in Israel was administered with four centimetre acupuncture needles to help stimulate his immune system.

The Israeli zoo says that this was the first time that they tried Chinese medicine on an animal at the zoo. Acupuncture was started after antibiotic treatments failed.

Mor Mosinzon administered the treatment and says it is hard to administer the acupuncture to wild animals. Pedang needed to be sedated in order to be treated.

Unlike in the Arab Gulf, in Israel it’s not really possible for people to keep lions, tigers or cheetahs at home, or out for a ride in a white gold mercedes.

Going to the zoo in Israel is a popular pastime for young and old alike, despite the fact that zoos and safaris in general are unsustainable and often cruel ways to keep animals.

Sanctuaries which offer large roaming space are usually best for large mammals, but we are encouraged to see alternative treatment options being used on these animals to reduce their suffering and improve their care. This particular news item, reported by Haaretz is a counter-balance to the animal abuse by Egyptian zookeepers at the Giza Zoo who in efforts to keep three bears “calm” for visitors, managed to kill them instead.

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Africa’s most dangerous animal will make its debut in time for the upcoming Eid holiday at the Al Ain zoo in the United Arab Emirates. The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a massive herbivore that roams swamps and shallow waters throughout sub-saharan Africa.

My stepmother kissed Jessica the Hippo on her rubbery snout last year in South Africa, but get between a normal mother and her calf, and you may as well say your prayers.

Mature male hippos can weigh as much as 3 tonnes, but that doesn’t stop them from running at speeds of up to 19mph, and they are very unpredictable. They may appear docile, but they’re fearsome animals that have until now been kept out of view of Emiratis who frequent the Al Ain zoo.

This doesn’t mean they weren’t always there. Gulf News reports that hippos have been a part of the zoo’s animal collection for a long while, but this is the first time that they will be presented to the public.

It’s not easy to keep hippos in captivity – especially not in a sauna like the Gulf region. They require special facilities to ensure they can stay suitably cool.

Unlike Egypt’s zoos, which are mostly rundown places that badly neglect the wild animals they keep, the Al Ain zoo is a respected facility that has conducted a variety of breeding programs over the years.

They have ensured that the hippos will have access to water that is cleaned with a special filtration system as well as shading trees and shrubs.

There will be five hippos on display in sum and the zoo is open to visitors during the Eid Al Fitr holidays from 10am to 10pm; thereafter the exhibit will be open from 4pm to 10pm.

:: Gulf News

image via Tafline Laylin

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