Young Female Eagle Found Dead at Gamla Nature Reserve Cliff After Distress Signal

A young female eagle was found dead at the base of a cliff in the Gamla Nature Reserve after a distress signal was detected from a transmitter attached to her. Alika Ma'atuf, a raptor observer with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, was dispatched along with the Golan Rescue Unit to the site. Ma'atuf rappelled approximately 80 meters down the cliff to locate the carcass.

According to Ohad Hatzofeh, a raptor ecologist with the Nature and Parks Authority, the eagle was born in 2024 in the Carmel region and was tagged on November 17, 2024, at the Hai-Bar Carmel Nature Reserve as part of ongoing monitoring of Israel's vulture population. The eagle's father was also born in the Carmel wild, while the mother was an older female that previously nested in the Golan Heights. Hatzofeh emphasized the critical importance of each eagle in Israel's small and vulnerable population and stressed the need to investigate the cause of death to prevent further harm to vultures and other wildlife.

Due to the carcass's location at the cliff bottom, a complex rescue operation was conducted in the evening to retrieve the eagle promptly for examination. The body was transferred to the Veterinary Institute for a necropsy to determine the circumstances of death. Rapid detection of tagged wildlife enables swift responses to unusual events, collection of vital data, and supports conservation efforts for Israel's vulture population.

This operation was part of ongoing cooperation between the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Golan Rescue Unit, which collaborate on various missions including wildlife monitoring, nature preservation, and emergency response in the field.