The building of a barrier threatens local wildlife
Ein Gedi nature reserve (which borders the eastern Judean Desert and the Dead Sea) - 6 March, 2008
1. Various Ibexes on mountain slope
2. Various of stone rabbits
Wadi Qelt, West Bank - 5 March, 2008
3. Wide of Wadi Qelt
4. Zoom in to waterfall
5. Various of birds near waterfall
6. Flowers blooming near river
7. Set up of Avraham Shaked standing next to colleague Roee Simon
8. Wide of Judean desert
9. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) Avraham Shaked, regional coordinator in Jerusalem, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI)
It's the first time that a country that is one territory from the natural and ecological point of view - all the land that is between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea - is divided by a physical barrier that is supposed to be be impossible to cross, not only for the people and the terrorists, but also any animal bigger than a rat or a lizard. This thing (barrier) is hurting the main principle of the protection of nature, that is the connectivity, the possibility for organisms to move from place to place and to protect in that way the dispersion of the species and the diversification of the species.
Ein Gedi nature reserve - 6 March, 2008
10. Various of stone rabbits near fence
11. Close of Ibex
12. Wide of Ein Gedi nature reserve
Wadi Qelt, West Bank - 5 March 2008
13. Wide shot of Wadi Qelt
14. Zoom in to Wadi Qelt spring (stream)
15. Mid shot of plants with sun overhead
16. Wide of Wadi Qelt seen from mountains
Bethlehem, West Bank - 4 March, 2008
17. Various of West Bank barrier around Bethlehem with graffiti on it
18. Wide of Maale Adumim settlement with West Bank fence in foreground
19. Set up of Imad Atrash, executive director of the Palestine Wildlife Society
20. Wide of Maale Adumim settlement seen through fence
21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Imad Atrash, Executive Director Palestine Wildlife Society
There is some tragedy for the animals, they are trying to be away from the fence area. It's really very sad. That's what we are looking for as a wildlife rights.
Ein Gedi nature reserve, Southern Israel - 6 March 2008
22. Mid of stone rabbit
23. Pan down from Ibex horn to close-up Ibex
24. Close of stone rabbits in shade resting near waterfall
Bethlehem, West Bank - 4 March 2008
25. SOUNDBITE: (English) Imad Atrash, Executive Director Palestine Wildlife Society
One of the most important issue is that the habitat and the location of the animals need space and with this separation wall or fence there is not enough space for them to be. Like what you have seen now, the tracks of the animals, they dig a hole inside the fence because they are looking for food and for water and this fence will kill and limit the number of mammals and animals in the coming future. For sure, most of the largest size of the mammals above the rabbit or the hare, it's endangered species at the moment in Palestine and in Israel.
26. Pan from Maale Adumim to fence
Kfar Adumim settlement, West Bank - 4 March, 2008
27. Wide zoom out of Kfar Adumim
28. Set up of Israeli settler, Roee Simon looking at mountains
29. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Roee Simon, Local resident
I personally as resident, as backpacker, as citizen, I think that the barrier is a mistake from concept and there is also other possibilities. We are going like a herd after the barrier, while we didn't even look for alternatives, we didn't test every case as unique and in this specific case (Wadi Qelt) we have totally different alternatives, we have technological options that don't have to destroy all of this special area.
30. Pan from Kfar Adumim to near mountains
Ein Gedi nature reserve - 6 March, 2008
31. Wide of Dead Sea and Ein Gedi nature reserve
32. Various of Stone rabbit eating from Acacia tree
33. Zoom in to Ibex
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