Jackals have become a familiar part of urban life in Israeli cities and parks, but a recent late-night attack near the Sea of Galilee, which left nine people injured and raised fears of rabies, has intensified concern. Wildlife officials say the incident was likely caused by a single rabid jackal. Since the start of the year, 46 Israelis have already been bitten before that attack, highlighting how common the problem has become.
In Park Yarkon, Tel Aviv resident Tal Shauli said a jackal suddenly bit her leg and chased her until she reached the main path and other people. In Ramat Gan, Gal Kakov discovered via security cameras that a jackal entered her yard and ate from her plate while she was briefly inside the house. A veterinarian told her bluntly, “Rabies is an incurable disease.”
Experts say the animals have adapted to city life because people feed them, often indirectly, through pizza, sandwiches, pet food, and open trash. Dr. Yariv Melichi of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said jackals now see humans less as a threat and more as a food source. Dr. Nural Shoov, who helped with a Tel Aviv municipality study, said 16 jackals were fitted with transmitters, and unlike wild jackals that travel 10 to 15 kilometers a night, urban jackals often move only about 300 meters to eat cat food and return.
That has made city jackals fatter, less fearful, and more likely to stay near people. Some residents still describe coexistence as possible, but others cite frightening encounters, including a case in Ganei Yehoshua in which a jackal grabbed a toddler until the caregiver screamed and chased it away. The debate has sharpened over how to respond: former Nature and Parks enforcement chief Amichai Buldo argues for shooting and culling, while Tel Aviv officials and Dr. Shoov warn that gunfire in city streets would create panic and be mistaken for a terror attack. The municipality is instead testing cat-only feeding stations and urging residents to close garbage bins. Researchers are also examining whether urban jackals are undergoing domestication, with changes in fur color, ears, face shape, and teeth already appearing in some populations.
