Coyotes Attack People in the Galilee and Raise Rabies Concerns Across Israel

A pack of coyotes attacked vacationers overnight Saturday at Doga Beach on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, biting and scratching them. Eleven people were taken for medical treatment at Ziv Medical Center in Tiberias. The Nature and Parks Authority said the circumstances were still being checked on the ground and with medical officials, and added that it was not yet clear whether the animals were stray dogs or coyotes. Authorities said the injured were sent to hospital both because they needed care and to receive rabies vaccination.

The issue has become increasingly common as coyotes move into urban areas, where officials say they are struggling to deal with the problem. The animal is native to Israel, but today coyotes are considered an invasive species and, because food is readily available, they are spreading across the country. Similar bites have also been reported in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, where there is a relatively large population near Yarkon Park, estimated at 500 to 800 animals. A study of that population is now under way, and a similar estimate applies to Ramat Gan.

The Nature and Parks Authority said Ramat Gan reported 10 coyote-bite incidents in recent months, while Tel Aviv reported three such cases in the past two weeks. Agency veterinarian Dr. Tomer Nissimian said rabies typically circulates in two overlapping cycles, one urban, involving dogs, cats and wild dogs, and another in wildlife. He noted that there have been many rabies cases in dogs, though there were also unusual cases in wild species such as rock hyraxes and badgers. He said the coyote population in Yarkon Park has grown significantly.

Officials said the current period is the birthing season, which may make coyotes more aggressive. One case involved a female coyote with cubs linked to three bite incidents in Gush Dan; the authority decided to trap her and move her, together with the cubs, to another location.

To reduce coyotes entering residential areas, the authority urged the public not to feed wild animals, not to leave garbage or food scraps in nature, even in sealed bags, to take trash with them, to stay only in organized overnight campsites, and to store food and garbage in vehicles at the end of the day. People who encounter wildlife should keep a safe distance and not approach. So far this year, six rabies cases have been confirmed, compared with 102 confirmed cases in all of 2025. Northern Israel remains a hot spot, with rabid coyotes found this year in Dganya Bet, Yardenna, Arbel, Manmiah, Dalton and Rosh Pina, as well as rabid dogs in Amirim and Kadita. Rabies has also spread to Jerusalem, Shoham, Rosh HaAyin, Modiin Illit and Holon.