Organizers of Omega's Evacuation

Omega In his younger years was used in one of the local restaurants to entertain people and was made to smoke cigarettes and serve water pipe to customers. After he grew stronger, he was locked up and taken to a zoo where he has lived in a 40 square meter cage for the past 10 years.

Organizers of Omega's evacuation say it marks the first time a chimpanzee has been rescued in Lebanon, a country with virtually no animal rights protection laws. Omega is being sent to a sanctuary in Brazil Monday after being rescued from a zoo in south Lebanon

Omega In his younger years was used in one of the local restaurants to entertain people and was made to smoke cigarettes and serve water pipe to customers.

Organizers of Omega's evacuation say it marks the first time a chimpanzee has been rescued in Lebanon, a country with virtually no animal rights protection laws.

In his younger years, Omega was used in one of the local restaurants to entertain people and was made to smoke cigarettes and serve water pipes to customers. After he grew stronger, he was locked up and taken to a zoo where for the past 10 years he has lived in a cage measuring 430 square feet (40 square meters).

Animals Lebanon has been pushing for Lebanon to join the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, and adopt laws that regulate the importation of primates. Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain are the only Arab countries yet to sign the convention.

Chimpanzees and other highly endangered wildlife are regularly smuggled to the Middle East to be displayed in private zoos, hotels and for the pet trade.

Animals Lebanon heard about the zoo in Ansar, near the market town of Nabatiyeh, about six months ago. They have since successfully worked with the owner to close the zoo and find homes for the animals.

For Omega, home will be a sanctuary in Sao Paolo, Brazil where he is to be flown later Monday aboard an Emirates airlines flight.