Thursday 7 May 2020

Gazelle Valley

Pri Har Valley, or Gazelle Valley, Emek Hatzva'im, as it is more commonly known, is an open space of 260 dunams in the heart of Jerusalem. It is named for a herd of Israeli mountain gazelle that live in the area. In 1993 their passage to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem was blocked by a new road and the gazelle were trapped in the valley. In the following years the herd gradually disappeared due to the threats of feral dogs, jackals and even humans who chased the gazelle to the road, where most of them lost their lives. A decade later the area was designated to become a luxurious housing project and the gazelles' fate seemed doomed. Luckily for them the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and local activists fought to save the valley and in January 2013, after lengthy court battles, work began on the park. It opened in 2015.
The years of being trapped in the valley, before the park was established to protect them, did not come without a cost. When the park was finally established, there was only 1 surviving gazelle. In the first two years of the park's existence several additional gazelle, who were rescued from illegal captivity, were introduced to the park. Since 2017 the herd has been growing independently. The last recorded breeding season, starting in the spring of 2019, yielded 13 new fawns, and the herd reached the unprecedented amount of 47 gazelle. As of April 2020, the number had risen to 54.

The park, which was designed by Tel Aviv based Weinstein Vaadia Architects in collaboration with Rachelle Wiener Landscape & Architecture, is ecology minded. It is the first of its kind in Israel and is modelled after similar parks such as Central Park in New York City and Hampstead Heath in London. It includes 4 natural and man-made ponds which provide hydration and habitation for the local wildlife, a man-made island, a set of lookout points for observing the various natural wildlife that inhabits the park, walking trails, bicycle paths and a new visitor and research centre. The green design saw the architecture firm win an Israeli prize for design and architecture but, undoubtedly, the highlight of the park is the herd of wild gazelle that freely roam throughout the landscape.
Gazelle are antelopes and are in the same family as goats, cattle and sheep. They are seen in most parts of the country other than the coastal plain. Two species are found in Israel. The Mountain gazelle is seen in the northern two-thirds of the country and the Negev gazelle in the southern desert. The gazelle is known in Hebrew as the tzvi (צבי). It is fawn to dark-brown in colour with a pure white belly. The horns of the male are long and straight, whereas those of the female are shorter and may be bent, crooked or broken. Like in the wild, the gazelle in Gazelle Valley find food on their own, breed, raise their young and fight over territory. Gazelle are very shy animals and are best seen at dawn or early evening. A daytime visitor to the park may not even see them!
Alongside the gazelle, visitors can find a variety of migratory and resident birds in the park. The ponds and rich plant life provide both a habitat and a nesting site for hundreds of local birds, and are an important resting stop for thousands of migratory birds. The number of bird species spotted in the park is over 170. Over 500 species of plant life are growing there, many of which were reintroduced in an effort to recreate the original flora which existed in the mountains of Jerusalem prior to the 20th century. Gazelle Valley is also home to many species of arthropods, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. 
Gazelle Valley also operates a shelter for Greek tortoises, though we did not see them on the day we visited. These tortoises were taken from the wild and kept as illegal pets. As a result, most of them lost their ability for independent survival in the wild.
The park has many shaded picnic spots, and benches and picnics are very much allowed, though it is crucial for the survival of the gazelle that no plastic waste or food is left behind. There are bird and rodent watching stations and signposts galore describing the park's many plant and animal inhabitants. All of the park's water supply is constantly circulated through the park. After rainfall is collected in the lake, the water is pumped back upstream and flows again through the valley. The water is ecologically cleansed and is not hazardous, though drinking from it or entering the ponds is not allowed.
The SPNI and the Jerusalem Municipality have many new initiatives planned for Gazelle Valley including a small bird observatory, a gazelle museum and a showroom with classrooms. In the meantime the park has become a wonderful place for visitors to stroll along the paths, look at the pools and the central protected area where the gazelle live, and relax on the benches by the water. And with a bit of luck they may even see some gazelle!

PoCoLo

34 comments:

Cynthia said...

What a special place with a very interesting story. I would definitely want to visit this place if I were in the area. These gazelles are so beautiful :)

Cosette said...

Next time I'm in Jerusalem, I definitely want to visit this place and hopefully see some gazelles. #Wanderfullwednesday

Rhonda Albom said...

Once again, it is nice to see that native species are protected from encroachments on their environment. The only place I have ever seen a gazelle is at the zoo.

Aritha V. said...

What a nice anaimal. Love to read about that area. In the city, that is special.

So, I know someone who's Jewish and his name is Ben Zvi. Actually his name surname is gazelle when I translate it to English? That is so cute.

VeggieMummy said...

What a fantastic success story. I bet the poor, lonesome gazelle was very happy to have some friends introduced to the park! xx

Elkes Lebensglück said...

How beautiful this gazelle is and a fascinating place and history!
Thanks for this interesting posting!
I wish you a nice weekend, Elke

Claire Justine said...

What a beautiful place to visit. I would love to see the gazelle :)

riitta k said...

Such a gorgeous animal & impressive horns! I would very much like to see them in their habitat! Have a wonderful weekend.

Phoebe | Lou Messugo said...

This sounds like a lovely place and not at all what I'd expect to find in Jerusalem.

Sharon Wagner said...

They are beautiful creatures. More graceful than goats! At least in appearance. I'm glad they have a place to roam.

betty-NZ said...

My, what a terrific place! Thanks for the photos and, as always, the history of the park. I love that places like this are trying to return to original flora.

It's great to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

Jayne said...

What a beautiful place. So lovely to hear that the SPNI and activists saved the valley. :)

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

Thanks for sharing the interesting story - love the graceful gazelles.

Miss Val's Creations said...

What a wonderful park for these beauties to stay safe. How perfect to have saved gazelles from captivity and allowing them to thrive here. It looks like an amazing reservation for animals and plants alike.

Stevenson Q said...

I have never seen a Gazelle but it has been one of my favorite animals because I used to have an animal chart as a kid and the photo of the Gazelle looks so beautiful, thus me knowing about them.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. As a Filipino, it is a very big dream for me to visit your blessed and sacred country. Israel is very close to our hearts because of Jesus and because of our beautiful friendship during the 1930's when our President Quezon fought hard to bring the Jews to our country and make them safe against Europe.

PS love the handmade arts you are making :)

italiafinlandia said...

So pretty and mild animals, they deserve a place to be taken care.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a nice week ahead!

Tamar SB said...

Such a great place! Gorgeous animals.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

Wow! That’s wonderful.

NCSue said...

Such beautiful animals!
Thanks for joining us at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-surprise-visitor.html. I hope you are well. I haven't heard much about how Israel is faring in the midst of the pandemic.

junieper/Jesh said...

These gazelle look like a somewhat bigger version than the deer we see. Love their horns. Am glad someone took their plight for survival on his shoulders! A beautiful reason for this whole park. Can imagine it was a joy to visit and relax, enjoying nature! You are again first at All Seasons, yay! Have a beautiful week, Lisa! Jesh

A Bit of the Blarney said...

How exciting it is that you have this wonderful gazelle refuge so near you! It looks very beautiful! Wishing you well!

Cathy
https://abitoftheblarney.wordpress.com

Powell River Books said...

How wonderful there is a protected area and that the gazelle have increased their herd size. That can be hard to do with such a small population to start with. - Margy

Joyful said...

Beautiful. How wonderful that you now have a protected area for the gazelles and other wildlife to thrive.

Tom said...

...I hope that we all the value of nature during this lock down. The environment is getting cleaner and I hope that we don't mess it up when this crisis passes. Thanks for sharing, take care and stay strong.

Small City Scenes said...

May the Gazelles live long and prosper. What a wonderful idea and beautiful area
MB

handmade by amalia said...

I've never heard of this place! And how nice to be out and about. I was thinking about travelling this weekend but it looks to be a HOT one.
Amalia
xo

Monika Ohson | TravelerInMe said...

Thanks for sharing about the Gazelle valley. I had no knowledge of it. I find them so pretty just like their lyrical name Gazelle.

Crafty Green Poet said...

That's very interesting! Good to read that the park has been so good for the gazelles and other wildlife. the gazelles are very beautiful too.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

A wonderful resource for the city.

Sherrie said...

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your park, it's beautiful!
Have a great day!

Karen said...

Good to see a protected area for animals. An interesting post.

Peabea Scribbles said...

It is sad as how we put our footprint on this earth the animals suffer. Glad they were rescued. Animals are so beautiful.

karen reekie said...

What a lovely place to visit. I had no idea that it was there, but I haven't been to Jerusalem since I was a teenager. #pocolo

Rambling Woods said...

I love to hear of wildlife being cared about. This was a great read...Michelle