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| Rock hyrax, Eid gedi, Israel |
The humble endangered and very cute rock hyrax has joined the zio-menagerie of terror. Palestinian farmers have accused Israeli settlers of eco-terrorism, and have blamed them for the unleashing the hyrax- the Israeli rock rabbit- into their areas.
From the Gulf News:
A small mammal at risk of extinction might seem an unusual source of stress for humans, but an influx of rock hyrax on Palestinian farms near the Israeli segregation wall is creating an added burden for farmers in the area.
The uncharacteristically wide and dense spread of this omnivorous animal has caused farmers heavy losses as the animals eat all available vegetation.
Palestinian farmers have alleged that Israeli colonists have released a large numbers of rock hyrax behind the Israeli wall with the aim of harming Palestinian land.
The affected farmers claim it has taken them great efforts to learn the animal’s name and that they have been unable to handle the influx.
Hassan Zaid, a Palestinian farmer, said that the animal locally named “Al Wabar Al Sakhri” eats both green and dried grass and trees leaving the farmers with serious losses.
“The animal does not leave anything thing behind and our lands have been destroyed.”
From Palestinian Wildlife Association spokesperson Emad Al Atrash, in an interview with Gulf news
“Killing the rock hyrax is banned and the farmers should not even think of this option at all,” he said.
“The way the rock hyrax should be handled must be different from the way the wild pigs are handled.”
“The rock hyrax is mainly a grass and plant eater with an incredible ability to climb. The lack of food and the dry weather has forced the animal to move to the coastal areas of the Palestinian territories,” he said.
He said “farmers should build cement walls around their houses to avoid attacks,” he said.
“The animal however should not be killed or trapped,” he stressed.
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