Dr. Omri Gal, northern district ecologist for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, told Ynet in an interview that a jackal approaching humans is a 'warning sign' that should cause concern. The comments follow an attack on bathers at Lake Kinneret over the weekend that injured several people.
In an interview with Ynet published Sunday afternoon, Dr. Omri Gal — the Nature and Parks Authority's northern district ecologist — said that jackals in the Galilee no longer maintain their natural wariness of humans and that the public should begin to take the situation seriously.
"Jackals are wild animals, and usually do not approach humans. When a jackal does approach people — there is a reason, and it is a warning sign," Gal told Ynet. His comments come after a jackal attacked bathers on the shores of Lake Kinneret over the weekend, injuring at least seven people.
As The Zioneer reported on June 13, Yossi Neba, chairman of the Kinneret Cities Union, subsequently called on the authorities to urgently cull the jackal population and deploy night inspectors. Earlier that same evening, the Health Ministry confirmed that 11 people had been bitten by a jackal suspected of rabies near the lake. The animal has not been caught.
Gal's remarks underline that the recent incidents are not isolated but reflect a broader shift in jackal behavior. What specific measures the Nature and Parks Authority intends to take has not yet been announced.
- DevelopingKinneret union head demands urgent jackal culling after overnight attack
- DevelopingTwo jackal attacks reported at Kinneret's Doga Beach a day after bathers injured
- StrongHealth Ministry warns 11 bitten by jackal suspected of rabies near Sea of Galilee
- StrongHospital director urges caution after rabies exposure in northern Israel
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