Jackal infestation: "I am very scared when I return home in the evening"
In the Shikun Vatikim neighborhood of Ramat Gan, jackal sightings have become frequent. Following an attack on a pet, residents are expressing serious concerns for the safety of their children.
The dog of Shani Yitzhak, a resident of the Shikun Vatikim neighborhood in Ramat Gan, was bitten and injured by a jackal in the heart of the quiet residential area — an incident that turned the fear of wild animals into a tangible and real danger. The dog, which required urgent medical treatment and is currently recovering, was attacked after the wild animal penetrated the residential environment.
From a single attack incident, the routine walk in the neighborhood has become a widespread phenomenon taking over the daily lives of the residents. The jackals wandering near yards and gardens have lost their natural fear of humans and are instilling a sense of fear and growing helplessness, especially during dark hours and amid heavy concerns for the safety of the children.
"The fear is already crazy, really surreal," describes Yitzhak in an interview with "HaOlam HaBoker" ("The World This Morning"). "You go out to the street, they pass right before your eyes like stray cats, just like that."
Yitzhak shares the difficult feelings of the area's residents: "I can say that personally, I am often very scared when I return home in the evening. They don't look that gentle and cute, and in the end, this is an animal that is not supposed to attack humans, but there are stories. They wander between our houses, they sometimes enter houses, there are children here, there are families here. I know that some of the neighbors here are really afraid for their children."
The Ramat Gan Municipality responded:
"A professional team from the municipality placed traps last night to catch jackals on the building's premises, in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Since this is private property, the consent of all tenants was required, which was received only last night — 11 days after it was requested. The claim that the operation was conditional on clearing or pruning the area is incorrect."
