Jackals infected with rabies were discovered in the north • Should the residents of Haifa be worried? ► Watch

(live here with the wild animals) - Since the beginning of the week, two jackals infected with rabies have been reported and found in the Upper Galilee area. Besides the wild boars, does Haifa also attract jackals and we should start to worry?

Recently, more and more residents in Haifa are reporting that they encounter jackals roaming around the various neighborhoods in the city. The presence of jackals throughout Haifa is not a new phenomenon. There are areas, mostly those near the wadis, where the residents are well aware of their loud howls that regularly accompany the sunset, but the thing that seems to be relatively new, is frontal encounters with them that seem to be increasing.

◄Jack in the yard • Photo: Rita Schneider Odeh • Watch

נתחיל מזה שתמיד חשוב להיזהר ובמקרה שנתקלים בחיית בר, יש להתרחק באיטיות ולא לנסות לייצר אינטראקציה כלשהי עמה. אך נראה כי לתושבי חיפה אים כרגע סיבה לחשוש באופן מיוחד, על אף ריבוי המפגשים עם תנים ברחבי העיר, דבר שלרוב היינו רגילים אליו בטיולי ביערות הכרמל או בוואדיות. היום התנים מסתובבים בחצרות הבתים ובגינות ודבר נוסף – כבר רואים אותם גם באור יום.

◄Give in the yard of a house in Haifa • Photo: Rita Schneider Odeh • Watch

They won't attack just like that, but...

Jackals are considered medium carnivores and feed mainly on carrion, but also eat small to medium animals and available fruits. They live in small groups and are active at night and between evenings, including at dawn, but sometimes they can be seen during the day as well, and this is the case in Haifa.

The jackals lead a monogamous lifestyle, where a couple and their offspring live in the territory until they reach adulthood. They will not attack people who are much bigger than them. However, jackals infected with rabies may well bite humans and thereby infect them with the disease. Even a couple protecting their offspring may bite humans who try to get close.

From an inquiry with the Ministry of Health, it appears that there is a decrease in the percentage of jackals infected with rabies and that since the beginning of January 7 jackals have been diagnosed with rabies, all in the Upper Galilee area of ​​Acre and Safed.

It is important to note that the Ministry of Health reminds anyone who has been bitten or scratched by an animal to immediately wash the area with running water and soap, disinfect with disinfectants and, as mentioned, to contact the health office to check whether it is necessary to receive preventive treatment against rabies.

"The pigs went, the jackals came"

Rita Schneider Odeh, a resident of the Kabbir neighborhood, tells Lahi Fe about the jackal family that moved to live in her yard: "Half a year ago, we started meeting jackals that come from Wadi Lotem to our garden and yard. Today, the mother and children live in our yard. We stopped seeing pigs, but we started seeing jackals."

'The phenomenon of wandering jackals in Haifa is unknown to the relevant RTG authorities'

The Nature and Parks Authority gave Hai Fa in response:
"The phenomenon of wild animals wandering in settlements, such as jackals, stems from the search for available human-sourced food. The Nature and Parks Authority, as a believer in the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Law, provides professional instructions to the local authorities, on how to reduce this phenomenon, among other things by improving the level of sanitation in the settlement areas and preventing access for waste and wildlife food.
The phenomenon of wandering jackals in Haifa is not known to the authorities of the Nature Authority and the relevant parks. In cases where residents come across a wild animal in settlement areas, they must keep a distance from it, do not harm it, do not disturb it, and do not feed it. It is recommended to report this to the municipal hotline, so that it can include the issue and, if necessary, contact the Nature and Parks Authority for instructions on how to act to reduce the phenomenon."