Detectives from the Central District and Sdot Police arrived yesterday (Monday) at a home in Netanya as part of an ongoing investigation into an explosive device that detonated in Even Yehuda. To their surprise, alongside evidence related to the case, they found something extraordinary: a ring-tailed lemur—an endangered species—illegally kept inside a private residence. The lemur, along with other wild animals including goldfinches, Egyptian chameleons, and a taxidermy mount of an Israeli gazelle, was transferred to the care of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
According to the police, the search was conducted as part of the investigation into the explosion in Even Yehuda. Sdot Station detectives, together with the Netanya Central Investigations Unit, arrested five suspects in the case who had previously been staying at a hotel in Tiberias. During the search of one suspect’s home, police also found an Airsoft pistol, substances suspected to be the drugs Dosa ((2C)) and marijuana, and the aforementioned wild animals.
“The first time in Israel”
“This is the first time in Israel we’ve found a lemur in a private home,” said Uri Laniel, Head of the Captive Wildlife Division at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. “This is a very sensitive animal, completely unsuitable for private ownership. The poor lemur was kept in isolation, under unfit conditions, and fed an inappropriate diet—its health is in serious condition.”
Laniel noted that the lemur likely arrived in Israel via a zoo, but that the species is now kept almost exclusively in professional facilities. He added that the chameleons found may be invasive species, posing a risk to Israel’s native environment.
The Israel Police and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority are urging the public to report any illegal possession of wild animals to the police emergency hotline at 100. In cases involving wild animals in distress, the Nature and Parks Authority can be contacted via their *3639 hotline. The authority also emphasized the dangers of contact with unregulated wild animals, which may carry serious diseases such as rabies and tuberculosis.
