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The bushy-tailed jird, a small desert rodent recognized by its tufted tail, was first documented in Israel’s southern Arava region in 1950 and has since been spotted only rarely, averaging one sighting per year. Recently, it was observed again in a nature reserve near the Dead Sea.
Dr. Gilad Weil, accompanied by West Bank district ecologist Amos Sabah and Israel Nature and Parks Authority ranger Hanan Goldberg, conducted a rodent survey in the Nahal Arugot Nature Reserve.
“We identified three bushy-tailed jirds in daylight, a sign of a healthy population in the cliffs,” Dr. Weil said with excitement. “This is a rare sighting because the animal is nocturnal and information about it is scarce. The observation confirms the population’s significance in these cliffs.”
While not endangered, the bushy-tailed jird is seldom seen. Dr. Dotan Rotem, an open spaces ecologist with the Nature and Parks Authority, noted that this rodent inhabits desert regions in Israel and neighboring countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
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