During a routine patrol near the seam line by Jerusalem, Border Police officers from the Jerusalem Envelope spotted a frightened hyena cub that had fallen into a drainage ditch and was trapped there, likely overnight. The officers alerted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and shortly afterward ranger Asaf Tzemach arrived and pulled the cub out.
A first check showed the cub was scared but uninjured. After consulting with an Authority veterinarian, the team decided to return it to the wild. The ranger and the Border Police officers quickly found the den, and the cub was released safely nearby. It immediately went inside.
Later that same evening, Nature and Parks Authority inspectors returned to the release area and saw the female hyena outside the den where the cub had entered, confirming that it had rejoined its family. Tzemach said: “Once we understood the cub was not injured, the priority was to return it to its natural place. I hope it will be able to grow and thrive and become a strong adult hyena. I want to thank Rami, Noach, Koren and Elisha from the Jerusalem Envelope Border Police force for their alertness and concern in calling us in time. Without them, the poor cub would probably have ended its life in the ditch.”
The striped hyena is the only hyena species in Israel and the largest land predator in the country. The article says global striped hyena numbers are estimated at under 10,000 and are declining, while the species is in even greater danger in the Middle East. In Israel, the main threats are poisoning and roadkill, since hyenas often feed on carcasses on roads and are sometimes hit themselves. They are also threatened by deliberate persecution, linked to superstition, folklore, body-part trade for traditional medicine, dog fighting, and keeping them as pets. In the West Bank, cases of hyenas being run over or shot are regularly recorded.
