Endangered Gazelles Spring Back in Jerusalem Park

A mountain gazelle surrounded by common myna birds at the Gazelle Valley, an urban nature reserve in the heart of Jerusalem. (AFP)
A mountain gazelle surrounded by common myna birds at the Gazelle Valley, an urban nature reserve in the heart of Jerusalem. (AFP)
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Endangered Gazelles Spring Back in Jerusalem Park

A mountain gazelle surrounded by common myna birds at the Gazelle Valley, an urban nature reserve in the heart of Jerusalem. (AFP)
A mountain gazelle surrounded by common myna birds at the Gazelle Valley, an urban nature reserve in the heart of Jerusalem. (AFP)

A few years ago, only three mountain gazelles were left in Jerusalem's shrinking green spaces, the rest having fallen victim to predators, road kills and urban development.

Today the endangered species has bounced back and a herd of about 80 of the graceful animals roam a small nature reserve within Israel's biggest city, the Gazelle Valley Park.

Created six years ago by Jerusalem City Council and the Society for the Protection of Nature (SPN), the green oasis sits inside one of the city's most dense urban development areas.

Today the park, which can be visited free of charge, is the only one in Israel where gazelles live protected -- a sanctuary badly needed by a species under intense pressure.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature placed the mountain gazelle on its Red List in 2017, saying its population was declining due to poaching, road kills and habitat degradation.

"We place the gazelles in as natural an environment as possible, so that we don't make them dependent on humans and so that we can release some of them into the wild in the future," said park director Yael Hammerman-Solar.

Endemic to the Levant, the population of mountain gazelles in Israel is now estimated at about 5,000, but falling due to urbanization and other pressures, said a recent study by Yoram Yom-Tov of Tel Aviv University and Uri Roll of Ben Gurion University in Beersheva.

In Jerusalem several years ago, the construction of a ring road suddenly "blocked the corridor that allowed the gazelles to reach other open spaces outside Jerusalem," said Hammerman-Solar.

"The animals, stuck in the valley, were decimated by stray dogs and jackals or were run over by cars on the ring road."

The SPN then fenced off the about 25 hectare (60 acres) green space and reintroduced a dozen animals, a breeding herd that has since grown to more than 80 individuals.

The park is bordered to the east by a future tramway line, and to the west by a clifftop real estate complex called Holyland.

The Gazelle Valley Park, with a series of ponds, brings other benefits too to the Holy City, said Amir Balaban, head of urban flora and fauna at SPN.

Home to diverse native plants and rich birdlife, it acts like a green lung and recreational space "by regulating temperature, producing oxygen ... and offering residents a place to connect with nature".



Rains from Typhoon Wipha Batter Hong Kong as it Heads for Mainland China

Collapsed bamboo scaffolds of a residential building are seen as Typhoon Wipha approaches, in Hong Kong, China, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Collapsed bamboo scaffolds of a residential building are seen as Typhoon Wipha approaches, in Hong Kong, China, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
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Rains from Typhoon Wipha Batter Hong Kong as it Heads for Mainland China

Collapsed bamboo scaffolds of a residential building are seen as Typhoon Wipha approaches, in Hong Kong, China, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Collapsed bamboo scaffolds of a residential building are seen as Typhoon Wipha approaches, in Hong Kong, China, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Rain pounded Hong Kong on Sunday as Typhoon Wipha skirted southwards, packing winds exceeding 167 kph (103 mph), disrupting 400 flights and public transport, felling hundreds of trees, and damaging a construction site.

Just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, weather authorities lowered the typhoon signal in the Asian financial hub to 8 from the maximum of 10, which had been hoisted for nearly seven hours, while more than 110 mm (4 inches) of rain fell within three hours.

Much of the rain concentrated on the northern region neighbouring the mainland, the city's observatory said, warning of more to come.

In a statement, the government said 26 people sought treatment in public hospitals, while 253 flocked to its shelters, and 471 fallen trees were reported, Reuters reported.

In North Point near the city's harbour, large swathes of scaffolding were swept off a residential building and onto the road.

As Wipha tracks westward across the South China Sea it is expected to make landfall later on Sunday between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang in the southern province of Guangdong, state-run broadcaster CCTV said.

Authorities in neighbouring Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, also downgraded the typhoon signal to 8 from 10, warning of flooding in its inner harbour area and urging residents to stay safe, public broadcaster TDM said.

Hong Kong's airport authority said 80,000 travellers were hit by the rescheduling of 400 flights forced by the typhoon.

Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled all flights with Hong Kong airport between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday. It waived ticket change fees and arranged for rebooking.

Most public transport in Hong Kong was suspended, including ferries amid high sea swells.