Handmade in Israel: Gazelle

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!