Rabid Jackal Found at Dogit Beach in the Sea of Galilee

Israel’s Health Ministry and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said on Monday that a rabid female jackal was found at Dogit Beach on the Sea of Galilee, within the Golan Regional Council area. The ministries issued a public warning and said anyone who may have been in contact with the animal, or with stray animals in the area, should urgently contact a health office to determine whether preventive rabies treatment is needed.

Officials said rabies is a deadly and dangerous disease, and the advisory applies to anyone who had contact with the infected jackal, or whose pets may have come into contact with it, in the Dogit Beach area between May 30 and June 13, 2026. Health offices can be visited during working hours without an appointment, and after hours or on weekends people should go to the nearest emergency room.

Parents were told to check with their children whether they had come into contact with suspicious animals in the area. The Agriculture Ministry also asked pet owners who were at Dogit Beach or nearby with their animals to urgently see a veterinarian and report that they had been in the area where the rabid jackal was identified.

The Health Ministry reminded the public that after any bite or scratch from an animal, the wound should be washed immediately with running water and soap, disinfected, and the person should seek prompt medical evaluation for possible rabies prophylaxis. The warning comes after an incident over the weekend at nearby Doga Beach, where eight adults and three minors were injured overnight after jackals entered the tent area; all received treatment and preventive rabies vaccinations.