The Asian lion, Syrian brown bear, Nile crocodile and Persian fallow deer are among the animals mentioned in the Bible that you can see at Jerusalem's Tisch Family Zoological Gardens - otherwise known as the Biblical Zoo.

"The Biblical Zoo is involved in conservation initiatives regarding many species that were mentioned in the Bible," says Nicole Wexler, director of development.

"The Persian fallow deer story is very special because they were thought to be extinct for many years until a small family was found in the mountains in Iran and it was quite a dramatic story because they were brought to Israel on the very last El Al flight and we're presently reintroducing them into the wild at two sites: one in the north and one here in the Jerusalem hills."

The zoo attracts more than 750,000 visitors a year and not only features biblical animals but many more as well.

"A program that we're very excited about is the cutting-edge breeding program for the blind shrimp," Wexler says. "The blind shrimp is a small, blind crustacean that is found in only one spring in the Sea of Galilee and it is found nowhere else in the world."