Nubian Ibex Injured in Eilat Cliffs Rescued

The heroic rescue of the ibex took place after the Nature and Parks Authority received a report that Orchid Hotel employees in Eilat saw a Nubian ibex, seen in the area of the ridges above the hotel, and it was clear that it was in distress and needed help. Chen Tofikian - regional inspector of the Eilat Mountains and the Gulf in the Nature and Parks Authority, says: "I arrived at the point, the hotel staff drove me in a tuk-tuk up towards the ridges above the hotel, I noticed an ibex behaving abnormally, limping and dragging its front leg. The ibex continued to advance along the mountain, and while walking it apparently got tired and began to roll down the rocky slope. I approached him carefully and realized that he was stopped by boulders, and when I stood in front of him I saw that he had injuries in the chest and face area."

The moment Tofikian saw the situation up close, he contacted the Hai Bar Yotvata teams and the chief veterinarian at the Nature and Parks Authority, and began to alert teams to the location. Nature and Parks Authority teams from the Hai Bar and the area, as well as the Eilat rescue unit, joined at the point. Accompanied by a veterinary team, they managed to rescue the unfortunate ibex using a stretcher, for further treatment. It is now at the Wildlife Hospital in Ramat Gan Safari for further treatment.

"I thank the rescue unit and the Israel Police, who routinely rescue hikers and volunteered to rescue an animal. This is very unusual, and of course also to the hotel staff who did not turn a blind eye and helped an animal in distress," concludes Tofikian.

The Nature and Parks Authority adds that in Israel, the Nubian ibex mainly exists in the Judean Desert, the Negev and the Eilat Mountains, and thanks to its conservation efforts, individuals can also be found in the Yehudiya and Golan Heights areas. The ibex is actually the symbol representing the Nature and Parks Authority. Its inclusion in the symbol of the Nature and Parks Authority is a representation of the Authority's efforts to successfully protect both wild animals and other endangered species, as the Nubian ibex, king of the desert cliffs, is in danger of global extinction.

Photo = The injured ibex in the Eilat cliffs. Photo Chen Tofikian, INPA