Israeli Forces Rescue Illegal Green Monkey From Private Home in Jericho

During the night, Israeli security forces conducted a court-ordered search of a private residence in Jericho, located in the Beka'a and Valleys Division, following suspicions that a monkey was being illegally kept there. The operation involved police officers from the Beka'a station of the Gilad district, inspectors from the Nature and Parks Authority, the Civil Administration's Nature Reserves Division, the Jericho counter-terrorism unit, and IDF soldiers from the Lavi Battalion (47). The search was guided by intelligence from the David district in Jerusalem and the Gilad district in Judea and Samaria.

During the raid, the forces found a green vervet monkey confined in a cage inside the house, in violation of the law. The monkey was handed over to the Nature and Parks Authority inspectors and subsequently transferred to the Israeli Monkey Sanctuary. A suspect, a woman in her 30s from Ramla, was arrested and questioned by the Nature and Parks Authority. She was released under restrictive conditions and will be summoned for further investigation on suspicion of illegal trade, hunting, and possession of a protected wild animal.

The Israeli Police, IDF, and Nature and Parks Authority emphasized their ongoing cooperation and determination to eradicate the illegal trade in protected wildlife, while ensuring public safety and animal welfare.