Israel Fears for 'Spy' Vulture Caught in Lebanon
Israel's nature authority said Tuesday that a vulture from one of its reserves had been captured on suspicion of espionage in south Lebanon after flying across the border.
Members of the Israeli public phoned the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to alert it to Facebook reports and pictures of a vulture with an Israeli identification ring and location transmitter captured by residents of the south Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, INPA spokeswoman Tali Tenenbaum told Agence France-Presse.
"Reports passed to us show the vulture tied with a rope by local people who write that they suspect Israeli espionage apparently because of the transmitter attached to him," a statement by the authority said.
"In the 21st century we expect people to understand that wild animals are not harmful," it added. "We hope that the Lebanese will release him."
Tenenbaum said that in their regular monitoring of the bird's movements the authority's experts had been aware for some days that it had flown about four kilometers into Lebanon.
"But we did not know he'd been captured," she said.
The south Lebanese local website Bint Jbeil said that the bird had been freed after it was deemed not to pose any threat.
Last summer, Palestinian media reported claims by the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers that they had apprehended a dolphin off their Mediterranean coastline, equipped with video cameras for an Israeli spying mission.
In 2011 Saudi media reported that a vulture carrying a GPS transmitter and an identification ring from Tel Aviv University had been detained by security forces who suspected it was being used for espionage.
26 January 2016, 22:06
914
It is most amazing that any form of bird can fly over our Watan and not be shot at hundreds of times, let alone survive. :)
27 January 2016, 14:00
73
seriously naharnet, you censored this? what kind of genius runs your forums?
to all those making silly jokes below:
1- the bird has been released
2- the CIA is known to have used animals as spies, wouldnt put it passed the mossad.
27 January 2016, 19:03
61
The bird is not the problem, no animal can be guilty of crimes. So it should not be killed.
It is the zionists and salafis that deserves to be shot, not the birds.
26 January 2016, 23:15
97
It is a special vulture whose eyes have been replaced by cameras, whose brain is an electronic circuit and whose wings create wi-fi waves.
27 January 2016, 00:20
33
He entered the country without the proper document, but we didn't know if he was to be returned to Israel or Palestine... We are awaiting Mr Ban's advice.
27 January 2016, 01:25
98
If it speaks Hebrew, it must also be a chosen one but of different color. Perhaps it's trying to seek political asylum in our Watan since the State of Israel is racist.
27 January 2016, 06:35
75
Do a prisoner swap with it, we should be able to get about 10 prisoners for 1 Israeli Vulture. Anyway I heard that the vulture is refusing to talk and that it has been threatened with "we have ways of making you talk". Yet another astounding victory for us ;)
27 January 2016, 14:00
85
I can smell all the love israelis have for other 'non-chosen' people...
27 January 2016, 14:03
85
and yet, despite your arrogance, you're the most hideous people ever, that's one thing the entire world agrees upon.
27 January 2016, 19:57
50
Well said @bigjohn. We also know that once Israel signs a peace treaty with the Palestinians, it is therefore limiting its expansion thus defining it's borders.
It is written in the Knesset,"Israel's borders are from the Euphrates to the Nile"
