Muammar Gaddafi is believed to be hiding near the western Libyan town of Ghadamis under the protection of Tuareg tribesmen.
"One tribe, the Tuareg, is still supporting him and he is believed to be in the Ghadamis area in the south," a senior military official of Libya's National Transitional Council said.
The official said the ousted Libyan leader was believed to have been in the southern town of Samnu a week ago before moving to Ghadamis, which lies 345 miles southwest of Tripoli.
He said Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam was in Bani Walid and another son, Mutassem, was in Sirte, the family's home town.
Meanwhile, Tripoli's zoo is in urgent need of medical equipment and only has enough food for three weeks, a Bulgarian animal welfare group conducting a relief operation said.
Five weeks after rebels took the Libyan capital from forces loyal to Gaddafi, Vier Pfoten (Four Paws) said that there is a danger of a "crisis" at the zoo, home to more than 700 animals, unless more supplies are organised.
"We wish to thank all the organisations and people that have participated in providing food, but request that people and organisations and other NGOs (non-governmental organisations) continue to assist," the organisation said.
A team from Vier Pfoten visited the zoo in early September and returned earlier this week, bringing food, medicine and medical supplies donated or bought with donated funds.
