The difficult situation of otters in the wild in Israel led the Nature and Parks Authority, the Society for the Protection of Nature's Mammal Center, and the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem to launch a new national nature conservation program – conservation, breeding, and reintroduction of the otter in the Land of Israel. Otters are also an indicator of the difficult condition of aquatic habitats in Israel. This important collaboration was designed to address all the needs of a program of this scope – research on the status of otters in the wild, establishing a conservation and breeding center at the zoo, release into the wild, monitoring of released individuals, protection of aquatic habitats that serve as natural habitats for otters, and education and outreach.
The Eurasian otter is a species that is endangered throughout its range in Europe, and therefore a conservation program for this species exists within the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EEP). Our zoo was accepted into this program, and for this purpose two individuals were brought from fish ponds in the north. Later, another individual of the same species was added from the Novosibirsk Zoo, for breeding purposes. A large, dedicated exhibit was established for this purpose with the help of the Friends of the Biblical Zoo Association.
We are still trying to successfully meet the challenge of keeping and breeding this species, and we hope to succeed in breeding them. This breeding nucleus will serve as a backup for the at-risk population living in the wild, with the possibility of releasing young individuals into rehabilitated and safe habitats in the north of the country.
