A cat once considered extinct in Israel is now making a comeback.
Rotem, a sand cat at the Ramat Gan Safari, gave birth three weeks ago to three kittens who were seen frolicking beside their mother Tuesday to the delight of visitors at the park.
Workers at the Safari were surprised by the birth, as Rotem lost her partner Sela one year ago, and the relationship between her and her new Swedish-born companion, Kalahri, was well — all claws.
Even though the two felines seemed disinterested in each other, caretakers decided to give love a chance. Rotem and Kalahri were left in the same room to spend nights together, during which they were unobserved; workers at the zoo had no idea if mating was taking place.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Rotem the sand cat with her three new cubs at the Ramat Gan Safari, August 18, 2015. (courtesy)
Caretakers later discerned that Rotem was pregnant, but had no way of calculating a date for the birth. The trio popped out three weeks ago.
Rotem the sand cat with her three new cubs at the Ramat Gan Safari, August 18, 2015. (courtesy)
Sand cats, the only cats able to survive in total deserts, used to roam the Holy Land in the Jordan River valley and surrounding areas in Africa and Asia, but today exist mostly in captivity. They have been listed as near-threatened because of their small population worldwide and declining numbers — only 200 survive in European zoos. Efforts are being made for conservation.
Rotem the sand cat with her three new cubs at the Ramat Gan Safari, August 18, 2015. (courtesy)
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
