The baghdad zoo was once home to more than six hundred magnificent animals. But after the war in Iraq began in 2003, the city faced widespread destruction. When U. S. Army Captain William Sumner was asked to check out the state of the zoo, he found that it, too, was devastated. Hundreds of animals were missing, and the few remaining were in desperate need of care. And so Captain Sumner accepted a new mission. Together with an international team of zoologists, veterinarians, conservationists, and dedicated animal lovers, Captain Sumner worked tirelessly to save the neglected—but tenacious—animals of Baghdad. Saving the Baghdad Zoo tells the poignant stories of these remarkable animals. Meet the abandoned lions who roamed an empty palace with no food or drink; the camel, Lumpy, who survived transport through sniper fire; the tigers, Riley and Hope, who traveled 7,000 miles from home; and many more. The Baghdad Zoo, open once again to the people of Iraq, has become an oasis of hope and safety in a city where both are precious gifts. Grade 5–8—War means bombs falling, buildings destroyed, humans fleeing to safety if they can. But what of zoo animals locked in their cages? As then U.S. Army Captain William Sumner was horrified to discover, they die from lack of food and water, they are butchered for human consumption, and they are stolen by dealers in exotic animals. Or, like those described in this book, they have grittily clung to life in appalling conditions. Asked by a commander to "look at a 'small' zoo" (actually, one of the largest in the Middle East), Sumner discovered a large one, plus three smaller "palace" zoos, and a number of other menageries. Animals were starving, thirsty, and unkempt. Volunteers miraculously appeared; support arose; zoological societies, veterinarians, and international wildlife groups offered aid and advice; and Sumner and his recruits got to work. This book chronicles their efforts—and the rehabilitation—of some of the zoo's residents. Saedia, a nearly blind brown bear who had never felt grass under her feet; Lumpy the camel, starved and dehydrated; and Saddam's personal pet cheetahs are just some of the creatures that appear in these poignant stories. Many color photos, some especially crisp or moving, document the efforts. While the Baghdad Zoo is no sterling example of what a modern zoological park ought to be, it is a shining example of human efforts to provide care and comfort to abandoned animals and to offer a sort of sanctuary to Iraqi residents whose lives have been drastically disrupted. Inspiring, yes, and a tad disturbing, but an important social record.— Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Bolstered with large, beautiful color photos and informative sidebars, this dramatic picture-book-size photo-essay tells of the U.S. army rescue of zoo animals in the Iraqi war zone. The authors investigate what the rescue effort has done for the animals––including lions, tigers, dromedaries, bears, Arabian horses, tortoises, cheetahs, and more—as well as diplomacy, building bridges between the American military and the Iraqi people, especially the zoo workers. The rescue stories of human-animal bonding include close-up photos and facts. Archaeologist Sumner serves as a general in Iraq and is still active in protecting the zoo and its cultural heritage, and his first-person eyewitness accounts are woven in with Hall’s overview. Together, the authors address the continuing controversies: Why save the animals and not focus on the people? Why not return wild animals to their natural habitats? Many readers will be drawn into the debates about the ongoing role of the U.S. in Iraq. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman “Sobering and uplifting photographs―many taken by Sumner―underscore both the direness of the situation and the spirit of hope that drove the project…Eye-opening.” - Publishers Weekly “Loaded with reader appeal, these tales of animal rescue focus on the animals but also provide some insight into what Baghdad was like in the wake of the U.S. invasion.” - Kirkus Reviews “Bolstered with large, beautiful color photos and informative sidebars, this dramatic picture-book-size-photo-essay tells of the U.S. army rescue of zoo animals in the Iraqi war zone.” - ALA Booklist “Moving.” - The Horn Book The baghdad zoo was once home to more than six hundred magnificent animals. But after the war in Iraq began in 2003, the city faced widespread destruction. When U. S. Army Captain William Sumner was asked to check out the state of the zoo, he found that it, too, was devastated. Hundreds of animals were missing, and the few remaining were in desperate need of care. And so Captain Sumner accepted a new mission. Together with an international team of zoologists, veterinarians, conservationists, and dedicated animal lovers, Captain Sumner worked tirelessly to save the ne