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The extinction rate of wild animals during the modern era, in Israel and throughout the world, has been increasing and is 50-100 times faster than the rate of natural extinction. The intensive development of open areas, pollution and illegal hunting are some of the factors causing many animals to disappear.
Israel has been blessed with one of the richest varieties of wild animals in the world. Israel is estimated to have 400 species of vertebrates -100 of which are mammal species, 200 are bird species and 95 are reptile species - in addition to 15,000-30,000 species of insects and more. 22 species of vertebrates and 4 other subspecies have become extinct in Israel over the past century. At least 6 other insect species and 15 mollusc species can be added to this number. Many species have disappeared without our having been aware of them.
This information was published in the 1999 SPNI's "Lateva Nolad" (Born to be Wild) report on the status of wild animals in Israel.
Blanford's fox (Vulpes Cana)
Blanford's fox (Vulpes Cana) is a small
and timid fox which lives in the steep
rocky regions of the desert. It was first
discovered in Israel in 1982 at Ein Gedi.
The distribution of the Blanford's fox extends
from the east of Israel all the way to Afghanistan
and south to Oman. It is active at night, feeding
mainly on insects and fruits that it finds in wadis
and deep canyons. Towards sunrise it returns
to the lair where it spends the hot hours of the
day. Even though Blanford's fox is not an
endangered species, it is a rare one. Preservation
of the cliffs that stretches the length of the Arava
and Judean Desert as well as of the desert areas
will ensure its continued existence into the future.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI)
The participants in this philatelic project include: the Israel Philatelic Service, the WWF International Gland / Switzerland (World Wide Fund For Nature), and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI).
The Panda device and WWF initials on stamp "© 1986 copyright WWF" are reproduced with the authorization of WWF, registered trademark owner.
