Ibex inhabited cliffs and mountains and are already mentioned in the Bible. The number of surviving ibex in the Judean Desert and the Negev in 1955, when the Wildlife Protection Law was enacted and nature reserves declared, is unclear. However extreme hunting pressure led them to develop flight distances of hundreds of meters from humans, and the population was clearly very small and on the verge of extinction when Israel became independent.
| Name: |
Nubian Ibex |
| Latin Name: |
Capra nubiana |
| Hebrew name: |
יעל, ya’el |
| Order: |
Artiodactyla |
| Family: |
Bovidae |
| Distribution: |
Ibex in Israel are found in 4 subpopulations: Judean Desert, the Negev Highlands, Eilat Mountains and Golan Heights. |
| Habitat: |
Nubian ibex inhabit steep mountains and cliffs in the desert, cut by deep wadis with abundant vegetation, particularly acacias, with water sources nearby. |
| Notes: |
Ibex inhabited cliffs and mountains and are already mentioned in the Bible. The number of surviving ibex in the Judean Desert and the Negev in 1955, when the Wildlife Protection Law was enacted and nature reserves declared, is unclear. However extreme hunting pressure led them to develop flight distances of hundreds of meters from humans, and the population was clearly very small and on the verge of extinction when Israel became independent. |
