Rescue team frees hyena cub trapped in drainage ditch near Jerusalem

On Saturday morning, during a routine patrol near the seam line by Jerusalem, Border Police officers from the Jerusalem envelope spotted a frightened striped hyena cub that had fallen into a drainage channel, apparently overnight. They immediately alerted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, which sent inspector Assaf Tzemach to the scene to rescue the animal.

The cub was pulled out and examined. It was frightened but not injured. After consulting with an authority veterinarian, the team decided to return it to the wild rather than keep it in care. Tzemach and the Border Police officers quickly found the den, and the cub was released safely nearby, where it went straight inside.

That evening, Nature and Parks Authority inspectors returned to the site and saw the female hyena outside the den, indicating the cub had rejoined its family. Tzemach said, “As soon as we understood the cub was not injured, the priority was to return it to its natural place.” He thanked the Border Police officers for their vigilance, saying that without them, the cub would likely have died in the ditch.

The authority noted that the striped hyena is Israel’s only hyena species and the country’s largest land predator. It said global numbers are estimated at under 10,000 and are declining, while the species faces even greater danger in the Middle East. In Israel, the main threats are poisoning and vehicle strikes, along with deliberate killings tied to superstition, traditional medicine trade, dog fighting, and pet keeping. In the West Bank, hyenas are routinely reported shot or run over. The authority urged anyone who encounters a distressed wild animal to call *3639 and remain nearby until help arrives.