Biodiversity
estore the lost historic animals of Israel The ancient land of Israel has weathered centuries of metaphoric changes. This small country, about the size of Rhode Island, has seen human negligence towards its only permanent territorial dwellers destroy and eradicate them. The location, aspect, and climate of Israel has enabled it to play host to the amount of varied flora and fauna whole continents normally support. Israel lies at the crossroads to three major land masses-the African, European and Asian sub-continents. The northern and western coastal plains and mountains have a Mediterranean climate which once saw mammals ranging from bears to crocodiles. The two major deserts of the south once welcomed such beasts as lions, cheetahs and leopards.9 The ever shifting current of events whether political or social, have depleted Israel's unique environment of many indigenous species bringing the onset of extinction.1 An organization called the Nature Reserves Authority created the Hai Bar reserves to combat the rapid extinction increase. In 1956, they began a project to reintroduce about 8 large mammals back to Israel which had be extirpated from the region.2 Their efforts have been a paradigm of how human restoration can
2 No Onager had been seen in Israel or surrounding Lebanon or Syria since the beginning of the 20th century. 2 Diligent workers found great success and where able to revive the once thought lost species to almost 150 members by 1998. The last Roe deer sighted in Israel was in 1912 as this extremely quick animal made great target for new weaponry abounding in the land. Scientists predict by the year 2005 there will be 400 Persian Fallow deer alive, 200 of which in the wild, assuring the preservationists hopes of reintroducing the deer back in to the hills of Jerusalem. Similar projects are beginning to have success in many other parts of the world where, like in Israel, extinction of indigenous species is a critical problem. When an animal goes extinct, it is quite likely that groups of similar species will begin to disappear, like the domino affect. 2 They are in fact reported to be one of the rarest mammalian species in the world. Its stamina allows a herd to withstand 40 days without drinking. On a global scale, scientists now predict that up to half the worlds existing species will become extinct in the near future or from a different angle about 50,000 plant and animal will be lost annually. 5 These amazing statistics are a model of success for preservationists and conservationists world wide. It is not uncommon to see a herd of ibex grazing by the highway heading south through the Negev. 4 Campaigns like the Hai Bar reserve are being encouraged internationally. 2 The Hai Bar reserve in the Negev desert, part of the Great Rift Valley, only 40 miles north of Eilat have worked in bringing back many desert mammals back to Israel. In the wild, numbers are slowly increasing, scientists hope by the year 2002 the number of Roe Deer will be sufficient enough to carry a stable community. The Ibex, or Mountain goat, have become a symbol of Israel's wildlife.
Common topics in this essay:
Hai Bar,
White Oryx,
European Asian,
Ass Negev,
Persian Fallow,
Rhode Island,
Fallow Deer,
Lebanon Syria,
Roe Deer,
Arabian Oryx,
hai bar,
bar reserve,
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roe deer,
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arabian white,
bar reserves,
arabian white oryx,
white oryx,
indigenous species,
scientists predict,
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persian fallow deer,
purchased brought,
fallow deer,
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Acceptance Essays
