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A few years and wars later, Marjan, by now considered the King of the Kabul Zoo was reduced to a geriatric, one-eyed crippled lion whose sad state came to symbolize Afghanistan itself.
The Afghan City of Kabul and the Kabul Municipal Zoo were both at once prosperous, relatively speaking. Kabul was popular with tourists from all over the world. The Zoo had about 40 species of animals totalling 400 animals on exhibit. In 1979, however, Afghanistan was invaded by the Russians. During the intervening years Kabul remained outside the battles and conflicts in the war against the Russians. In 1992, the Russians were finally driven out but civil war engulfed the country.
This time the City of Kabul was in the center of much of the civil strife. Over the course of two years the Zoo was slowly destroyed by rocket attacks. Many animals had died in the attacks and many were wounded. With much of the Zoo, animal habitats and medical supplies destroyed, the Kabul Zoo lapsed into semi-permanent state of disrepair. War brought even more poverty to the country. There was little money to pay for vetinarian care, food or the wages of the zoo employees.
In 1995, a not so intelligent Taliban soldier, jumped into Marjan's habitat to show off his bravery. Marjan killed and as has been reported, ate the man. The next day the soldier's family returned for vengaence. Someone threw a grenade at Marjan. The grenade mutilated the lion. He was blinded in one eye and crippled.
During the civil war the Taliban fighters killed and ate many animals. Two Indian elephants were killed and zebras were slaughtered. Eventually, only a few animals remained including Marjan and a few mangy wolves. And even then the animals were mistreated by the Taliban. At one point, the Taliban regime wanted to shut down the zoo operation. The zookeeper Omar fought back and was allowed to keep the zoo open.
Once the Taliban regime collapsed the Kabul Zoo's Marjan and all it's miseries came to the forefront. Marjan became world famous. However, misery and time eventually caught up with the old lion and at the age of about 40 died on January 26, 2002.
-Marjan at the Kabul Zoo-December 2001
-Marjan and his keeper Sheraq Omar