Jackals throughout Haifa • Will the jackals soon also stop fearing us?

It seems that jackals are slowly joining part of the Haifa landscape

(haipo) - Haifa has long since become this "strange" city, where wild boars have become permanent residents, a topic that provides headlines for the national (and even global) media and the subject of jokes. Will the jackals soon also join this "celebration"?

In the last year or two we have been encountering jackals walking around the city of Haifa, mostly at night but sometimes also during daylight hours. Either way, such a large number of jackals have not been seen here before. What brings the jackals into the public space? Are they dangerous to us? How should we behave if we encounter a jackal? Dotan Rotem, an open areas ecologist at the Nature and Parks Authority, answers these questions.

looking for food

"Jackals come to the public space mainly due to the search for food," says Rotem in an interview with Lahi Fe. "They look for leftover food left around commercial centers, for example, but mainly approach places where food is available such as parks and homes of residents who feed their pets outside the home. As we know, there are compounds where street cats are fed, in these places a lot of food is left and sometimes only the smell remains , which attracts the jackals to the place in search of food".

Hunting is more difficult

Is there a possibility that the jackals will also lose their fear of people over time and we will one day find them roaming among us, like the pigs? Because so far it seems that they are afraid of us...

"It's definitely possible. In the Tel Aviv area, in Yarkon Park, there are already jackals resting in the bushes in the park while people walk on the paths.

Is the jackal considered a smart animal, like the pig?

"I don't know how to answer the wisdom of animals. Animals react to their environment. When it is threatening they move away, when it is not threatening some of them come closer and enjoy different things. For example, there is always more water near humans compared to Israeli nature. That is why they will gravitate to agriculture, irrigated gardens And of course for food. Hunting in the wild is an operation that requires a lot of energy investment and is not always successful. It is simpler and more rewarding to go to the nearest neighborhood and collect food and trash that the person leaves behind."

In general, wild animals do not attack humans and stay away from them

Is the jackal considered a dangerous animal? If so, how or what is the danger?

"In general, wild animals do not attack humans and stay away from them. In extreme cases of protecting offspring or as a result of a certain disease, they can certainly endanger humans by biting or attacking them."

How should we behave in the event of an encounter with a pack of jackals?

"As a principle, it is recommended to stay away."

It is known that pigs do not transmit rabies and none have been found to carry it. Jackals, on the other hand, carry rabies. Do they endanger the public, or our pets?
"ככלל, כל יונק עלול להיות נשא של כלבת. אכן תנים וכלבים הם מעבירי המחלה המוכרים ביותר. הכלבת היא מחלה שמווסתת גודל של אוכלוסייה. בעיקר כלביים, כשהם נפגשים, מלקקים אחד את הפנים של השני כחלק ממחוות של כניעה ו"החלפת דעות". בדרך זו הם מעבירים את המחלה מאחד לשני. ככל שצפיפות התנים עולה, עולה גם ההסתברות למפגש בין אוכלוסיות ולכן גם להתפשטות המחלה, שגובה מחיר ומקטינה את האוכלוסייה. כשהמפגשים פוחתים כיוון שיש פחות תנים, המחלה פחות גלויה. נשיכה של תן, כמו גם של כל יונק אחר, מחייבת פניה למרכז רפואי לקבלת טיפול ובירור רפואי. הם בהחלט יכולים להדביק גם חיות מחמד – יונקים".

What kinds of animals are they carnivorous?

"In the wild, they prey on animals smaller than themselves, including rodents, ground birds, reptiles and even medium-sized mammals.

כיצד פועלים ברט"ג (רשות הטבע והגנים) על מנת לשמור אותם בוואדיות ולצמצם את נוכחותם למרחב הציבורי?

"RTG" for years has been leading moves to inform about the reduction of food sources which are the main reason for the reproduction of jackals and their arrival in population centers. Once the food sources are reduced, they will have no interest in our residential areas."

How is it recommended to behave in the event of an encounter with a jackal?

"If you see a jackal from a distance, it is recommended to look. It is a beautiful wild animal. But do not approach or try to keep it away by various means, since we do not know what the condition of the jackal is and how it will behave. If the encounter causes fear or reluctance, it is recommended to break off contact and move away in the other direction."