220 alestineAugust 2016 Palestine In this issue Thanks largely to our authors, this issue is a visual feast of the creatures with whom we share this planet. Palestine is home to a unique abundance of species, and the reasons for this variety Animals in Palestine can be found in this month’s featured articles. Immerse yourself, enjoy the stunning images and informative captions, and become 4 Animal Biodiversity inspired to venture out, possibly with a pair of binoculars and best with a bit of 220 patience and perseverance, and meet more members of the global family of living 10 Animal Health and Wealth August 2016 organisms. 14 Avifauna of Palestine alestine Sincere thanks go to the director and staff of the Palestine Museum of Natural History 26 Invasive Alien Birds for contributions that cover the wide biodiversity of Palestine’s mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, as well as invertebrates that populate Palestine – some 32 Brave Animals Without a Backbone of them as residents, others as visitors during part of the year. The Ministry of 38 Reptiles and Amphibians of Palestine Agriculture informs us of efforts that are extended to care for domesticated animals, while taking into consideration that biodiversity must be preserved to best serve 44 Canaan Dogs animals and humans alike. The Environmental Education Center gives an account 52 Gaza’s Phoenix: Real or Legend? of ongoing developments that might seem tame to science fiction enthusiasts but nevertheless are likely to have deadly consequences, leading to the extinction of 58 Animal Symbolism in Religions species. One article finds inspiration and hope in relating a mythological bird to the history of Gaza, and another reminds us that for centuries, animals have played a 64 Gaza Lions role in the holy scriptures of our region. A special breed of dog is placed into its 68 Caring for Stray Animals rightful historical context, and you will be introduced to inspiring efforts not only to care for its stray siblings but also to raise some rather unusual animals that, for 72 In the Limelight Animals in Palestine the time being, are cared for as pets. 79 Reviews Our personality of the month is fulfilling his lifelong dream to enhance awareness 84 Events of the need to preserve Palestine’s beautiful fauna. We feature two books, and our Cover: Taisir Masrieh. artist of the month shows Palestine from a less familiar side – at least as official 86-94 Listings performance is concerned. If you are in the country, make sure to visit our exhibition 95-97 Maps of the month and take a look at the rich events section that is filled with exciting things to do on a beautiful summer evening in Palestine. 98 The Last Word From all of us at TWiP, we wish you a good, safe, and peaceful summer. Warmly, Tina Basem Telefax: +970/2 2-295 1262 Editor [email protected] www.thisweekinpalestine.com www.facebook.com/ ThisWeekInPalestine Forthcoming Issues September 2016: Caring for and Working with People with Disabilities Publisher: Sani P. Meo Art Director: Taisir Masrieh October 2016: Tapping into Palestine’s Diaspora Graphic Designers: Shehadeh Louis, Hassan Nasser November 2016: High Tech in Palestine Editor: Tina Basem TWIP Coordinator: Yara Alloush The views presented in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Advisory Board Riyam Kafri-AbuLaban Maps herein have been prepared solely for the Printed by: Principal of the Friends Boys School convenience of the reader; the designations and Nasser Al-Kidwa Mazen Karam presentation of material do not imply any expression Studio Alpha, Al-Ram, Jerusalem Chairman of Board of Directors, Yasser Arafat Foundation Managing Director, Bethlehem Development Foundation of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, Maps: Courtesy of PalMap - GSE editor, or its advisory board as to the legal status of Naseer Rahmi Arafat Bassim Khoury any country, territory, city, or area, or the authorities Distribution in the West Bank: Cultural Heritage Enrichment Center CEO, Pharmacare LTD thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or CityExpress national affiliation. Ola Awad Abeer Odeh President of PCBS / President of IAOS Minister of National Economy 2 3 Animal Biodiversity in Palestine The caracal is a nocturnal animal and difficult to observe. By Mazin Qumsiyeh pass here on their annual migration conservation when talking about between Europe and Africa. Yet human animal (and plant) protection. “Wildlife” interventions, especially since the is sometimes used to refer to bigger industrial revolution, have resulted in a animals such as mammals, birds, and t the crossroads of three continents, Palestine is located in the western strong decline of a previously amazing reptiles. One could argue that humans part of the Fertile Crescent that connects Africa with Eurasia. This animal diversity of life. Animals that are the wildest of all animals for their location and the associated geologic activities over the past 100 have become extinct in Palestine over destructive impact on the environment. million years have ensured a unique and rich fauna, flora, and human the past few hundred years include Only since the late twentieth history. The diverse habitats include five ecozones that range from ostriches, the fishing owl, the Syrian century did the conservation a the Central Highlands to the Semi-Coastal Region, Eastern Slopes, brown bear, the roe deer, the lion, and of biological diversity the Jordan Rift Valley, and the Coastal regions, and cover four the cheetah. Lions lingered perhaps become recognized bio-geographical regions (Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo- until the thirteenth century. The last as an urgent issue Arabian, and Sudanese/Ethiopian). It is thus not surprising that this cheetah remained in the distant hills in when scientists small country is biologically more diverse than some countries ten our countries up until the early 1900s. observed times its size. The large animals that remain, though the Tens of thousands of years ago, early humans initially migrated out of endangered, include leopards, gazelles, their region of origin in southeastern Africa to this part of the world, wolves, vultures, and caracal, for and not much later, farther on. The Fertile Crescent’s mild weather and which illegal hunting and rich soils allowed for such a wide variety of wild plants and animals destruction of habitats to thrive that humans in turn were able to flourish by harvesting them remain the main from nature. About 12,000 years ago the people of this region were sources of threats. among the first to rely on agriculture when they domesticated wheat, Scientists prefer the barley, lentils, and chickpeas, and raised goats and camels. This term biodiversity transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled agricultural and conservation pastoral life made possible an increase in human population and the to wildlife development of civilization and religious beliefs among first the local Natufian and later the Canaanitic peoples. Over time, a diversity of religious beliefs evolved here that led to its being considered a Holy Land for nearly half the earth’s human population. Palestine’s diverse habitats have allowed for thousands of animal species to evolve, many of them unique to our country. It furthermore The Middle East Tree Frog is endemic to the region has provided ideal conditions for hundreds of millions of birds that and is threatened by human habitat destruction. 4 5 Hyraxes might resemble rodents at first glance, but they have hooves and two As an ibex ages, its horns may grow long enough to curve all the way down to its back. caniniform incisors that betray their common ancestry with elephants. significant decline in biodiversity that the Convention on Biological Diversity who performed a number of studies another Arabic and Aramaic term for has accompanied industrialization by the Environmental Quality Authority from 1962 until his untimely death goat) on the western side and Wadi and human-induced climate change. (EQA, 2015). This report estimates that at the age of 27 in 1970. Since Mujib on the eastern side of the Dead Important in the recognition of the over 50,000 species live in Palestine, then, only few and sporadic research Sea. dangers to our natural surroundings including over 540 birds and 100 studies had been undertaken by local The hyrax or coney (wabar in Arabic) were the publication of the Global mammal species. Yet much more work scientists before biodiversity research is an interesting brownish animal Biodiversity Strategy and the adoption remains to be done to map these in a became more relevant in light of the about the size of a rabbit that can be of the Convention on Biological scientific way, and we estimate that deteriorating environmental situation. seen on the precarious edges of steep Diversity (CBD) that was signed at the one-third of the invertebrate species Examples include a research paper cliffs of valleys throughout Palestine, Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (both in historic Palestine are still to be on the decline in animal biodiversity feeding on plants and furtively rushing in 1992). described and named. Some may go in the Bethlehem region due to human back to its den when threats such as a extinct even before they are described interventions (including the Separation In February 2002, special focus was predatory eagle or a jackal are sighted given to Palestine at the Seventh Special by scientists. Wall and settlements), and the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) at – a peculiar danger call can be heard Session of the Governing Council/ Objective studies of animals in the Bethlehem University has published from the animals that hold guard on Global Ministerial Environment Forum, oPt have been limited, compared to fascinating studies on freshwater lookouts. It belongs to a unique order held in Cartagena, Colombia, when a nearby areas.