IDF spies rare predator in W. Bank

The military released footage from surveillance cameras this week that showed a leopard in the northern part of the West Bank.

The spotting of a leopard roaming freely in the Samaria region was rare, as there are only a handful left in the wild in Israel. Most of the few known wild leopards are located further south, in the Judean desert and Negev mountains.

Israel Defense Forces soldiers who operate surveillance cameras posted along the West Bank security fence regularly work with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to record the movement of animals and map zoological activity in the region.

“We understood there was a good tool we could utilize,” Motti Shefi from the INPA told Channel 10, referring to his organization’s cooperation with the military.

The unit was happy to help out with animal watching alongside its mission of combating terror and protecting the citizens of Israel, Lt.-Col. Shimi, commander of Central Command’s field reconnaissance battalion, told Channel 10.

“The cooperation with INPA started when the security fence was built and the habitats of local fauna were affected,” Shimi said. “The war to preserve wildlife is a complicated one in itself.”