Sand Cat

A small cat that in the past lived in the Arava and apparently became extinct in the 1990s. The Biblical Zoo and the Safari in Ramat Gan cooperated with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority in order to breed the species and return it to the wild. In the breeding program at the zoo, a breeding pair and its offspring live in an area hidden from the public behind the cheetah display.

In 2007, an attempt was made to reintroduce them to the wild that did not succeed, and the cats released into the wild crossed the border into Jordan and did not survive. Following the lessons learned, it was decided to stop the project until a solution to the problem of survival in the wild is found.

Failure also has importance – in raising the awareness of the wider public to the subject of the sandy habitats in the south of the country that are in danger. If a comprehensive program to conserve these habitats is not carried out, additional species of mammals, reptiles, rodents, and birds that live there will disappear!