Tag Archive for Israel Nature and Parks Authority

Palestinian Official: ‘Israel stole our snake’

After Israel chose the daboia palaestinae to be its national snake, the Palestinian Authority protested the move, calling it an act of ‘theft’ and an affront to preserve ‘Palestinian identity’.

By Dalit Halevy

 

Last Thursday, Israel’s Society for the Protection of Nature and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority named the Palestine viper as Israel’s national snake.

The Palestine viper, or daboia palaestinae, was selected based on an online vote.

Geographic distribution of Daboia palaestinae: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria – Photo: Wikimedia/rbrausse

Found across the Levant, from the northern Negev and western Jordan in the south to northern Lebanon and central Syria in the north, the snake is common throughout most of Israel, and in Hebrew is referred to as the ‘common viper’, or ‘common Land of Israel viper’. Continue Reading »

Ancient gold, silver artifacts discovered at Israeli archeological site

 

Eight months after a 2000yr-old gold coin, minted in Rome, was accidentally found in northern Israel, now a new trove of ancient gold & silver artifacts were discovered at the Tel Gezer archeological site.

By ARIEL WHITMAN

 

A treasure trove of gold and silver objects dating back about 3,600 years from the Canaanite period has been found in the Tel Gezer excavation center.

The Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced Monday that it believes the objects found were part of a ceremonial offering that was laid in the center of the structure being excavated. Continue Reading »

Historical discovery of Egyptian statue with hieroglyphic script found at Tel-Hazor

 

Tel Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee, is Israel’s largest biblical-era site, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and where the only monumental Egyptian statues found so far in 2nd millennium contexts in the entire Levant.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD

 

In a historic find, a large limestone fragment of an Egyptian statue depicting an ancient official’s feet, was discovered at Tel-Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced on Monday.

Continue Reading »

Morning jogger finds 900 yr-old lamp on Ashkelon shore

 

“To find an artifact like this, it’s really exciting.” said the morning jogger, “You can touch what was here long ago. I feel like I’m a part of the chain.”

By Rachel Kaplan

 

Tuesday morning started normally for Meir Amshik, a ranger (lifeguard) for the Nature and Parks Authority.900 year-old lamp900 year-old lamp – Photo: Yuli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority

As he jogged along the coast, however, “I saw a few pottery shards had been washed up by the waves, and I stopped to pick them up. To my surprise, I saw that a new part of the cliff had crumbled.
Continue Reading »

Israel Worried ‘Detained’ Vulture in Lebanon May Be Executed As ‘Mossad Spy’

 

A captured griffon vulture by residents from the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, suspect it to be a Mossad spy for Israel since it has an Israeli ID tag & a GPS transmitter.  

By Erez Erich, AFP

 

The Nature and Parks Authority said Tuesday that a vulture from one of its reserves had been captured on suspicion of espionage in neighboring Lebanon after flying across the border.

The vulture that was captured in Lebanon – Photo: bintjbeil.org

Members of the Israeli public phoned the Nature and Parks Authority to alert it to Facebook reports and pictures of a vulture with an Israeli identification ring and location transmitter captured by residents of the south Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil. Continue Reading »

Nocturnal Predator Receives Medical Attention in Israel Before Release

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

During a patrol of the West Bank security barrier near Jenin on Saturday, Border Police forces came across an injured female owl that could not take off and immediately took action.

Continue Reading »

Three Palestinians arrested for animal cruelty, torturing endangered hyena

 

Palestinians arrested for violently abusing a striped hyena, an endangered species, after ostentatiously posting a self-incriminating video to the internet.

Erez Erlichman

 

Three Palestinians have been arrested for allegedly abusing a striped hyena, the police said, after an IDF patrol caught two of them with wounded animal and connected a third to the incident through a video posted online.

The hyena (Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority)

The hyena – Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority

The Palestinians, from Beit Umar, were caught with the animal on Friday, the eve of Yom Kippur, near the settlement of Kfar Etzion, a few hours after the Nature and Parks Authority saw it in a video posted online. Continue Reading »

Cave full of stalactites discovered near Jerusalem

Parks Authority officials mapping unique stalactite cave discovered; considering how to protect the site that’s to be opened to the public in a month.

By Itay Blumenthal

 

 

A large cave of stalactites was discovered by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (NPA) together with the Cave Research Unit (CRU) during construction work in the Jerusalem hills.

Inside the cave. (Photo: Lior Cohen)

Inside the cave. – Photo: Lior Cohen

The new cave was uncovered after construction workers blew up a boulder and saw a hole underneath. NPA workers arrived on the scene and explored the hole with flashlights, discovering the expansive cave full of stalactites. Continue Reading »

Ariel Sharon Memorial Park to be inaugurated Tuesday

 

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Animal hospital in Israel saves pelican with 110 shotgun pellets

Video: After being brought by ambulance,  Israeli animal hospital saved suffering pelican from acute lead poisoning.

 

 

Israel is the single land bridge between Africa and Eurasia, making the land a paradise for bird-watchers, especially in migration season. Fish farmers are somewhat less enthused as flocks of ravenous avians descend on their ponds, eating much of the crop.

The oil-covered pelican flying over Lake Hula.

The oil-covered pelican flying over Lake Hula. – Dror Galili

“They may not have eaten in days,” points out Safari spokeswoman Sagit Horowitz, and a flock of huge birds with gargantuan appetites can wipe out a fish pool in no time. Continue Reading »