Keren Ha’yael and the Hai Bar's assistance along with the dedication of its members, will help determine the INPA's successes in shaping the future face of Israel, with its valuable natural and heritage assets firmly protected for generations to come.
GRIZIM/5488
photographs Rotem Dota/Bill Clarck
Keren Ha’yael & Hai Bar
Keren Ha’yael, Hai Bar 3 Am Ve'Olamo Street, Givat Shaul, Jerusalem 95463, Israel Tel. 972-2-5005444 Fax. 972-2-5005409
www.parks.org.il
Roe Deer
Keren Ha’yael and the Hai Bar are voluntary associations founded to protect nature, landscape, and heritage in Israel.
Reintroduction to the Wild
These associations operate in collaboration with Israel Nature and Parks Authority to achieve three main goals; 1 Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, and the protection and fostering of flora and fauna's diversity. 2 Conservation and restoration of heritage sites for the benefit of visitors to national parks and nature reserves. 3 Education and public relations to inculcate the importance of protecting nature, landscape, and heritage. Keren Ha’yael and the Hai Bar are involved in the following projects, among others; 1 Green planning for Israel's open areas. 2 Conservation and restoration of historical sites like Masada, Beit She'an, and Tzippori. 3 Rehabilitation of habitats like the Hula Reserve, the coastal dunes, and the Ramon Park. 4 Reintroduction to the wild and rehabilitation of biblical wildlife, like deer, ibex, and leopards, and vegetation, such as acacia trees. 5 Education and public relations in the areas of nature protection and heritage.
Kohelet Rabbah 7,28
Background
The Reintroduction in Israel
The roe deer is a small member of the deer family that inhabits a wide variety of habitats and range of climates. Populations of this species can be found from southern Europe’s Mediterranean climate to the colder and drier regions of northern Asia and eastern Europe. Israel is the southernmost place in the world inhabited by this species. The cutting down of woodlands and forests, the introduction of firearms into the region, and the culture of hunting imported from Europe by the Templers led to the extinction of roe deer in the Middle East by the beginning of the 20th century.
Because this animal is solitary in its behavior and exhibits a high level of agonistic behavior towards con-specifics, it does not breed well in captivity and cannot be kept in large numbers in small closed areas. Thus, it is not possible to establish a large breeding core for their reintroduction.To overcome this problem, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority imports roe deer from wild populations in southern Europe and, after a short period of quarantine at Hai-Bar Carmel, release them into the wild. The site chosen for the reintroduction is the Ramat Hanadiv Park in Mt. Carmel, south of Haifa. The first release took place in February 1997 and included six females and two males.A second release of a male and female took place in March 1998.
The Reintroduction to the Wild Process The reintroduction of an extinct animal is a complicated and expensive project. According to the principles of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a number of elements must be considered before reintroduction is undertaken. A species can be reintroduced to the wild only if the factors that led to its extinction are known, if they were induced by humans, and if they are no longer present.
The question of the existence of sufficient territory to support a sustainable population must also be addressed. After successful breeding in captivity, individuals must be acclimatized in enclosures in the area of their planned release. Some of these individuals must be fitted with transmitters that will allow the success of their reintroduction to be assessed in the wild.
In 2004 two females and two males were released at the Horshan Mountain nature reserve, and in 2005 another two males and three females were released to the wild there. all released animals are fitted with radio transmitter and monitored regularly.
Reintroduction costs for importation and reintroduction to the wild of 20 individuals Importation of 20 roe deer from Europe radio-telemetry transmitters Human Resources Vehicle expenses Enclosure Total cost
$ 25,000 $ 8,000 $ 6,000 $ 5,000 $ 10,000 $ 54,000