Jerusalem Biblical Zoo Tisch Family Zoo in Jerusalem - The Biblical Zoo

Some Jerusalem zoo news
1. After the famous 3 legged Persian leopard Ashur died at age 19, they've been renovating the leopard enclosure and waiting for a sibling pair from Dvür
2. After receiving a rhino from De Lile at the beginning of the year which got the name Idan, recently arrived Tupac a rhino that was born in Ramat Gan to prevent inbreeding and to let Mapenzi who also came from earlier this year from De lile to breed with the Ramat Gan females
3. They are finalizing plans for Lapped faced vulture aviary after taking part in several conservation efforts for the species
4. They became the first to ever hold the endemic critically endangered thought to be extinct up until 10 years ago Hula Painted Frog, they got 40 of them to keep them safe from the war in the north
5. And this https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/conservationcenter/
 
1. After the famous 3 legged Persian leopard Ashur died at age 19, they've been renovating the leopard enclosure and waiting for a sibling pair from Dvür

It´s nice to know Dvur Kralove finally found a place for their latest cubs. Two brothers born 22.8.2022 to parents Arkhyz and Banu - they got named Aladin and Afrin. Very playfull cubs that love to stalk and "hunt" visitors dogs through the glass.

Dvur imported Arkhyz from Russia (Sochi breeding center), he is unrelated to other EEP animals and these are his first offspring, so new blood for the program. I hope they won´t stay alone at Jerusalem forever but at least one would get a chance to breed in future.
 
Some Jerusalem zoo news
1. After the famous 3 legged Persian leopard Ashur died at age 19, they've been renovating the leopard enclosure and waiting for a sibling pair from Dvür
2. After receiving a rhino from De Lile at the beginning of the year which got the name Idan, recently arrived Tupac a rhino that was born in Ramat Gan to prevent inbreeding and to let Mapenzi who also came from earlier this year from De lile to breed with the Ramat Gan females
3. They are finalizing plans for Lapped faced vulture aviary after taking part in several conservation efforts for the species
4. They became the first to ever hold the endemic critically endangered thought to be extinct up until 10 years ago Hula Painted Frog, they got 40 of them to keep them safe from the war in the north
5. And this https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/conservationcenter/
Some interesting new projects at the Biblical Zoo and well chuffed about the Persian leopards arrival, their role in providing sanctuary to a bachelor white rhino herd, the lappet faced vulture aviary (the Negev population is part of a wider Arabian Peninsula large lappet-faced vulture population (Saudi Arabia, UAE and further south and west).


HULA AMPHIBIANS PROJECT
Now of course the biggest hightlight is the Hula Painted Frog project. This is a welcome example of ex situ conservation breeding work for a rare localised frog species. As you (@Tea Rex) will be well aware the Hula swamp has been under threat from a multiple and complex set of threats over the habitat and impacts by surrounding dryland and primarily human impacts upon the whole area.


SHAI DORON - A COMMUNITY LEADER (REMEMBRANCE / EULOGY)
The crowd funding project for the Shai Doron Center is a real fitting tribute to a one-of-a-kind erstwhile staff member that made a huge impact on the Biblical Zoo. I see they have a long way to go with the 222.000+ target to reach. Just 4 donors to date ...!

The zoo community lost a great ambassador for ex situ conservation breeding, the Israeli zoo community and a nature conservationist at heart. Shai Doron died unexpectedly in August 2024 at the way too young age of 63.... (I am really so very sad and shaken (yet) May Shai Rest In Peace).

But this is not doing justice to the person that Shai was ..., he was a community leader and gifted individual who could transcend communities and the complex world of multi cultural Jerusalem and society. His work at the Jerusalem Foundation and what he came to do, his vision for the impoverished city and all the communities that constitute this diverse city ..., he is so sorely missed .... especially at this time with so much conflict around your nation.

Link: With the loss of Shai Doron, Jerusalem has lost its best friend
 
I still recall when I visited years ago in my childhood as part of a family vacation...
I recall being very impressed by how the whole thing was presented. I think retroactively this zoo had some of the best aesthetic design of any that I have visited and managed to balance it with what appeared to be good animal welfare! My most distinct memory was probably that of the very long safari walkway up to Noah's Ark... I recall it felt like a very long walk for not very much. And then there was walking all the way back as well!
I think as a whole somehow I wish to visit Israel again, if only to relive my childhood memory of the first properly warm country I went to visit [excluding perhaps Spain]. But somehow I think the whole thing was reflective of my innocence - how I knew nothing back then of the complexities of the Holy Land! Chances are on transit to the Zoo I spent a bit of time inside of the West Bank [in transit]... but my memory's hazy on that day. Even with all that's going on, I can't help but have some amazement in how within just nearing 80 years of its existence Israel has managed to re-shape and re-furnish its natural landscape.
 
Unfortunately, a 36-years old keeper has been killed by one of the Persian leopards. Awful news.
Source
strangely some outlets are saying it was a tiger...and somehow I don't remember much of any big cats from my visit years ago
 
strangely some outlets are saying it was a tiger...and somehow I don't remember much of any big cats from my visit years ago

It was one of the two Persian Leopards they got from Dvur Kralove earlier this year. The confusion in english publications stems from the hebrew word "Namer", which technically can translate as either Leopard or Tiger. However in modern Hebrew, especially a zoological setting, they are differentiated using the word "Tigris".

In addition they hold Sumatran Tigers, Lions, and Cheetah. This being the second serious incident this year at the zoo raises some serious red flags about safety protocols. Truly a tragic situation...
 
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