Desert Oasis, Israel
- 7 Aug 07, 01:05 PM
High above the Dead Sea sits the field school at Ein Gedi. Run by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) the school educates young Israelis on the richness of the desert environment. Four springs feed Ein Gedi, a beautiful oasis in the Judean Desert, irresistible to wildlife. Tessa stayed at the school whilst recording interviews for 'Wild Arabia'.
I can hardly believe my eyes as we arrive at the field station. More Ibex. Wild Ibex wandering around the grounds, feeding on the grasses, shrubs and trees. Females, young and half-grown males, they all look so laid back. I’ve never seen anything like it. They wander off onto the rocky slopes overlooking the Dead Sea leaving textbook- perfect tracks and droppings. Poaching can’t be a problem here. What a refreshing change! This precious desert is so crucial for wildlife that SPNI has persuaded the government to halt the building of this section of the security fence designed to separate the West Bank from central Israel. It’s a huge achievement in a country where security comes above everything else, but this victory is fragile. “We have won the battle but only for today” Katriel Maos tells me. A fence here would cut the desert in two, and could spell the end for the Ibex and other large mammals that still thrive in this wild enclave. Their future can only be secured by peace. Standing in the mountains earlier, with views across the mountains to Jericho, I’m not sure which is the greater challenge; peace, or saving wildlife in the Middle East?
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Very plesed to hear that the fence isn't going to be built, lets hope it stays like that for as long as possible.
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It must be a difficult decision for the Israeli government. Is the protection fragile ecosystem more important than the protection of human life? Lets hope terrorists don't take advantage of it.
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