Green Prophet has reported on the research of Dr. Salit Kark a couple of months ago. I went on to interview her, and here’s a story about our conversation and her research that aims to save billions in conservation efforts in the unique Middle East region. An Israeli researcher is playing a leading role in […]
The end of the line of the bluefin tuna in Japan? A Doha, Qatar conference proposes a ban on fishing. The verdict: defeat for the ban and the tuna. At the recent CITES Agreement conference in Doha Qatar, a proposal to ban commercial fishing for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, a prized delicacy in Japan, was […]
Bats find no-man’s land makes a great “hang-out.” Image via Yuvalh. The song lyrics ask, “War — what’s it good for?” Well, conflicts between peoples may create new opportunities for displaced and endangered animals. Haaretz newspaper reports that Ph.D. student Eran Levin of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Zoology has discovered one of the most […]
The rare and beautiful dugong inspired “tails” about mermaids. This strange creature faces extinction in the Middle East. Image via Christian Haugen. Can you believe that between six and seven thousand “mermaids” still live in the shallow, saline waters of the Persian Gulf? Better known as dugongs or sea cows, these slow moving, gentle herbivores […]
Bats can eat their weight in mosquitos. Some, 1,200 mosquitos every night, making them man’s best night flying friend. Have you ever noticed those night flying creatures that seem to flitter endlessly among date palm trees in the Middle East at night while making distinctive clicking sounds? If you have, chances are these creatures are […]
In a step towards preserve the wealth of its national animal and plant populations, Qatar will be setting up a gene bank of local species. Dr. Sheikh Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, the Director General for Research and Agricultural Development of Qatar’s Environmental Ministry, said that “Qatar has a precious legacy of flora and fauna […]
Billions could be saved if Mediterranean countries combined conservation efforts, finds new Israeli-Australian study. Picture via Hebrew University. We already know that rodents suffer from human-made boundaries between Israel and Jordan: Coordination of conservation efforts across national boundaries could achieve significantly higher results and at less cost than conservation actions planned within individual states, researchers […]
Explore where no man has gone before, with tentacles? Now building the world’s first robotic octopus, and the world’s first soft-bodied robot, Israeli “octopus” scientists have joined a seven group international team to help marine scientists explore nooks and crannies on the ocean floor, like an octopus would. Instead of dropping down clunky metallic submarines […]
At the time of writing this post, there are 6 confirmed cases of swine flu now in Israel. Out of fear that the virus might spread to Epypt, authorities there have ordered the slaughter of the country’s 300,000 pigs, reports the Associated Press. “It has been decided to immediately start slaughtering all the pigs in Egypt using […]
Naomi Tsur The city of Jerusalem is steeped in history, stretching back to before the Bible’s King David ruled the city. Today it is a major center for the three major monotheistic religions — Judaism, Islam and Christianity, who all hold Jerusalem near and dear. But whether you are on a spiritual quest, pilgrimage, or […]
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-February, a small group of New Yorkers—beekeepers, environmentalists, and a handful of honey aficionados—huddled together in an empty SoHo office building for a local honey-tasting session. If this had been Portland or San Francisco, it wouldn’t have been a notable event—just a harmless gathering of honey connoisseurs. But in […]
Do Israeli animals in distress have a guardian angel? If a young man named Avi Kuzi has anything to say about this, they certainly do! If any of you Green Prophet readers caught the article in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post, you must have been touched, as well as impressed by the tireless work of this […]
The Porter School of Environmental Studies (PSES) at Tel Aviv University supports a new garden initiative: How do you stop peacocks from the neighboring garden, that just love the vegetables in your own little hard-won patch of green? Or the mole rat that happily digs its tunnels under the roots? (Especially when you firmly believe that every […]
The 2009 Week of Love for Nature, Water and the Environment (in short: the week of peace, love and dupey du) took place this week in Israel. It was the seventh year running from March 13 – 21, 2009, according to the Israeli Ministry of Environment. The annual event, organized by the Ministry of Environmental […]
No matter how sophisticated modern medicine becomes, common ailments like fungal infections can outrun the best of the world’s antibiotics. In people with compromised immune systems (like premature babies, AIDS victims or those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer) the risk is very high: contracting a fungal infection can be deadly. Now Tel Aviv University zoologists are diving deep […]