A Palestinian man who tried to sell a lion cub was sentenced to 30 months in prison by the Judea Military Court, in a case Israeli wildlife authorities described as a clear warning against the illegal trade and possession of wild animals.
The sentence was handed down as part of a plea deal due to evidentiary difficulties in the case. The lion cub was never found.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority filed the indictment about a year ago through attorney Karem Mounir. According to the indictment, in April 2025, the defendant bought a lion cub from another person. The cub is considered a wild animal and a protected natural asset.
Prosecutors said the defendant bought the cub in order to trade it and make money, and kept it in the yard of his home.
WhatsApp messages found on the man’s phone showed that he had offered to sell the lion cub for at least 50,000 shekels. He also allegedly offered to sell other wild animals, including a leopard and monkeys.
Under the plea deal, the man was convicted of the offenses attributed to him. In addition to the wildlife offenses, authorities said an M16 rifle was found in his possession.
Lion cubs at Hai Park in Kiryat Motzkin
(Video: Hai Park in Kiryat Motzkin)
Military judge Lt. Col. Diane Yishai accepted the agreement, ruling that it was reasonable and could be honored. She sentenced the defendant to 30 months in prison and imposed a fine of 5,000 shekels.
The lion cub that the defendant had allegedly kept was never located. The same was true of the other wild animals he was said to have possessed.
The sentence is considered relatively severe in the field of wildlife protection, though it may have been influenced by the weapons offense.
‘A clear and unequivocal message’
Attorney Shai Peretz, chief prosecutor for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, welcomed the ruling.
‘I see the sentence as a clear and unequivocal message from the military court against the illegal possession of wild animals and harm to them,’ Peretz said. ‘The significant punishment imposed reflects the severity of the acts and the importance of protecting wildlife, alongside the deterrence required against those involved in offenses of this kind’
In March last year, six lion cubs were discovered across Israel after being smuggled into the country from Jordan or Egypt using drones. The cubs are now at Hai Park in Kiryat Motzkin.