This morning (Tuesday), troops from Battalion 972 encountered an injured hyena caught in the security fence in the Maccabim area, near Modiin. The hyena, from the rare and diminishing striped hyena species, was unable to free itself. Battalion commander, Lt. Col. Adir Shukron, informed the command center and called in the Nature and Parks Authority, which arrived on-site with the authority’s veterinarian, Dr. Tomer Nasiman.
Illegal Trap
Field examinations revealed that the hyena had previously been caught in an illegal foot trap and had dragged itself until it got caught in the fence. Dr. Nasiman sedated the hyena, released it from the trap, and evacuated it to the wildlife hospital, where it was found to have fractures in its paw. “Hopefully, we can preserve it,” he said.
The “Sanitarians of Nature” Who Are in Danger
The striped hyena is the largest nighttime predator in Israel, considered vital to the ecosystem due to its ability to clean the environment of waste. However, their numbers are dwindling worldwide to less than 10,000, with a particularly alarming decrease in the Middle East. In Israel, many are run over or poisoned, and at times even hunted due to superstitious beliefs.
The Civil Administration stated that the rescue was an important act for nature conservation, and they call on the public to report any harm or suspicion of illegal hunting.
