{"id":85332,"date":"2025-07-27T09:50:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T06:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerusalem-online.co.il\/?p=85332"},"modified":"2025-07-31T14:03:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T11:03:36","slug":"lion-cub-found-in-east-jerusalem-illegal-trade-thrives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerusalem-online.co.il\/en\/lion-cub-found-in-east-jerusalem-illegal-trade-thrives\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion cub found in East Jerusalem, illegal trade thrives"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"329\" data-end=\"704\">During an early-morning operation on Saturday, detectives from the Ma\u2019ale Adumim police\u2014serving under the Judea and Samaria District\u2014located a lion cub tied to a tree in the yard of a private home in Abu Dis, just east of Jerusalem. The cub, estimated to be around six months old, was found in poor nutritional condition, though without visible external injuries<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"706\" data-end=\"1034\">In coordination with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), the cub was transported to a secure wildlife facility for veterinary assessment and care. Officials confirmed that the animal would undergo comprehensive evaluations to determine whether it suffers from further internal damage or long-term health complications<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1036\" data-end=\"1372\">To date, no suspects have been detained or questioned in connection with the incident\u2014raising concerns about law enforcement\u2019s handling of illegal wildlife trafficking in the region. Environmental activists on social media platforms claim the police are relying on informants while turning a blind eye to the criminals behind the trade<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"iw\">\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05e8\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05e0\u05ea\u05e4\u05e1 \u05d1\u05d0\u05d1\u05d5 \u05d3\u05d9\u05e1 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d3 \u05de\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d1\u05d5\u05e7\u05e8. \u05e8\u05e9\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d8\u05d1\u05e2 \u05d5\u05d4\u05d2\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05e1\u05e8\u05d4 \u05db\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d0\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d7\u05e6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea. \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8. \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05d5\u05db\u05d1 \u05dc\u05d7\u05e7\u05d9\u05e8\u05d4. \u05d4\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8, \u05e9\u05e8\u05d6\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d2\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d4\u05d5\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05dc\u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05df \u05d1\u05d8\u05d5\u05d7 \u05e9\u05dd \u05d9\u05e2\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d3\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05ea \u05e0\u05d5\u05e1\u05e4\u05d5\u05ea <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0FC3z8sJYb\">pic.twitter.com\/0FC3z8sJYb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ilanacuriel\/status\/1948985898881663002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1433\"><strong data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1433\">Six cubs, zero justice: the brutal market lives on<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1440\" data-end=\"1773\">The seizure of this lion cub in Abu Dis adds to a troubling pattern across the region. Since the beginning of 2025, six lion cubs have been confiscated in various parts of Israel\u2014highlighting a surge in smuggling activity. The cubs are believed to be trafficked from Egypt or Jordan, sometimes even flown across borders using drones<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1440\" data-end=\"1773\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">(<a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/jerusalem-online.co.il\/en\/mufti-detained-at-al-aqsa-mosque-footage-released\/\">Mufti Detained at Al-Aqsa Mosque \u2013 Footage Released<\/a>)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1775\" data-end=\"2201\">Professionals warn that these animals are typically separated from their mothers at a very young age, kept in inhumane conditions, and are often too traumatized or ill to ever be returned to the wild. The INPA reports that five previously rescued cubs are currently housed in the Hai Park in Kiryat Motzkin, where they receive specialized care\u2014and have been named after Israeli soldiers and victims of the October 7th attacks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday morning in Abu Dis: no arrests made. Behind the rescue lies a growing and brutal wildlife trade<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":85333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Lion cub found in East Jerusalem, illegal trade thrives","_seopress_titles_desc":"Saturday morning in Abu Dis: no arrests made. Behind the rescue lies a growing and brutal wildlife trade","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10327],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-85332","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-breaking"},"acf":{"subtitle":"Saturday morning in Abu Dis: no arrests made. 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