Protecting the country and saving lives — including those of animals: During an operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Maglan unit in a Palestinian village over the weekend, troops spotted an eagle owl being held in a cage inside a home.
Two soldiers from the team said, “During the operation, we suddenly saw a bird of prey in a cage, kept in poor conditions. We carefully placed it in a carrier and took it out once the mission was over. It was clear to us as a team that we were saving it from horrific conditions and from illegal captivity, a wild animal that is meant to live in nature.”
The eagle owl that was located in a Palestinian village
(Video: IDF)
The soldiers coordinated with staff from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and transferred the eagle owl to a volunteer wildlife rescuer, Saguy Marom. “We are proud to protect our country and also our animals,” the soldiers said.
Marom said: “The cooperation between the Nature and Parks Authority and the IDF led to the rescue of a magnificent and noble animal. The owl received initial treatment and was transferred to the wildlife hospital at the Safari, with the hope of returning it to nature soon.”
According to the Nature and Parks Authority, the eagle owl is a species whose main distribution is in Europe and Asia, and it is the largest nocturnal bird of prey in Israel. It is considered the undisputed ruler of the night. Like most birds of prey, the threats to its population include electrocution, poisoning, hunting, nest destruction and habitat loss.
The owl’s diet is varied and includes rabbits, tortoises, small birds and hedgehogs. Its nesting season in Israel begins in January, and it nests in rock crevices or caves.
