The Iraq War brought great destruction to many parts of Baghdad and when U.S. ARmy Captain William Sumner arrived in what used to be called Mesopotamia, he thought he would be using his archaeology background to organize and record the priceless treasures of Baghdad's museums. Instead he was directed to the Baghdad zoo and there he found animals with no food and water and even many whose cages had been destroyed. Now in the middle of a war, Captain Sumner and his staff would be facing the challenge of feeding the animals and finding ways to bring water to them. The bear, the horses, the pelicans and the lions all found special places in his heart. It was an exercise "in compassion" that this soldier never expected. The war explodes even now outside the doors of the zoo, but inside hope is what everyone is holding on to as they day by day and one step at a time, reclaim the wonder that is these wild, caged animals.
Barb Langridge