The problem of stray dogs from Gaza wreaking havoc isn't going away. On Monday, several infiltrated Kibbutz Magen in the Eshkol Regional Council and killed seven spotted deer in the kibbutz's petting zoo. The carcasses of the deer will be sent for veterinary examination. Several other deer that sustained injuries from the incident will receive medical attention.
The war has precipitated a surge of stray dogs moving from the Gaza Strip into Israel. These dogs have primarily found their way into areas where IDF soldiers are stationed, and many have entered kibbutzim near the Gaza border. Tomer Nisimian, a veterinarian with the Nature and Parks Authority, remarked, "During the first week following Hamas's attack, the Nature and Parks Authority, collaborated with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, and several private volunteers and organizations to assist the residents and animals affected in the western Negev.
"Some animal habitats were either fully or partially evacuated, like the one in Kibbutz Magen, where caretakers have been striving to maintain and care for the animals. Despite our calls to address the issue of stray dogs from Gaza and to acknowledge the risk they pose to public health, safety, wildlife, farm animals and pets, the threat these dogs represent persists," Nisimian said.
"This morning, we received a report about seven spotted deer in the animal corner that were killed by a pack of stray dogs from the Gaza Strip. The issue of stray dogs in the western Negev is a problem that solves nothing, not even for the dogs themselves who are subjected to hunger, accidents and diseases."
Yatir Shamir, the head of the law enforcement division in the Nature and Parks Authority, added that, despite their efforts to capture and relocate the dogs to kennels while minimizing the lockdown period, the recent incident underscores that the threat these strays pose to wildlife and residents remains.