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Hunting Persian Fallow Deer Safari The Persian fallow deer is listed in the Book of Deuteronomy among the seven species of non domesticated ungulates. In plain modern language, this meant that these deer were kosher. Theoretically, such animals could also be used for ritual sacrifice, but it seems that in actual fact they were rarely, if ever, used for sacrificial purposes. The Persian fallow deer is also specifically mentioned in the Bible as one of the delicacies served at King Solomon's royal table. Unfortunately, the prosperity of the fallow deer came to an abrupt halt with the introduction of firearms into the region in the early twentieth century. Iran SafariThe Persian fallow deer is listed in the Book of Deuteronomy(14:5) among the seven species of non domesticated ungulates (hoofed animals) that the Children of Israel were permitted to eat. In plain modern language, this meant that these deer were kosher. Theoretically, such animals could also be used for ritual sacrifice, but it seems that in actual fact they were rarely, if ever, used for sacrificial purposes. The Persian fallow deer is also specifically mentioned in the Bible as one of the delicacies served at King Solomon's royal table (I Kings 5:3). Unfortunately, the prosperity of the fallow deer came to an abrupt halt with the introduction of firearms into the region in the early twentieth century. The animals were hunted by the thousands, and by the end of the First World War the species was completely wiped out in the Land of Israel. It was thought at the time that the entire species (or subspecies, depending on which taxonomic listing is used) had become extinct throughout its geographical range. In 1955 the Baron von Opel (the renowned car manufacturer, who also happened to be an amateur zoologist) discovered a small herd of Persian fallow deer taking refuge in the vicinity of the Dez River in western Iran. Von Opel acquired a number of deer for the Opel Park Zoo in Kronberg, Germany, and began breeding the animals. In the wake of the baron's sensational discovery, the relevant authorities in Israel began making determined efforts to acquire a number of Persian fallow deer. The cherished goal was to breed the deer and eventually return them to the wild in their historical homeland, in the forests of Western Galilee.In essence, this was the idea behind the establishment of Israel's Hai Bar wildlife preserves. The two original Hai Bar preserves (one in the southern Aravah Valley north of Eilat, and the other in the forests of Mt. Carmel just south of Haifa)were set up for the purpose of restoring Israel's native fauna, particularly those species that had become extinct locally. A pair of Persian fallow deer from Iran finally landed in Israel in the late 1960s. These two were later joined by a number of deer from Kronberg. Finally, it seemed, the dream of bringing the Persian fallow deer back to the forests of the Land of Israel was beginning to come true. Surprisingly enough, reinforcements came from Iran, of all places, just at the time when that country was caught up in the heat of the fundamentalist Islamic revolution of December 1978. The herd was transferred from the Tel Aviv Zoo to the Hai .Bar preserve on Mt. Carmel, where they flourished and multiplied. At first, the deer showed signs of multiplying quite successfully in their new home in the Tel Aviv Zoo. However, serious problems soon arose, and it became clear before long that the herd could not survive without the addition of new animals. The personnel of Israel's Nature Reserves Authority were urgently pressed into action. Fortunately, they could make use of some very good international connections in order to bolster the tiny local population with the acquisition of additional deer. The worldwide population of Persian fallow deer today numbers a little over 400 individuals. More than half of these animals reside in Israel, in the HaiBar of Mt. Carmel, in the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, and a number of other locations (see below). The size of the population is still dangerously small, and the animal easily qualifies to be listed as an endangered species. In fact, this deer is considered to be one of the rarest mammalian species (or subspecies) in the world.In 1996, the ambitious goal of returning the Persian fallow deer to the wild in Israel began to be fulfilled, with the release of the first animals. 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Just under one hundred deer are already foraging in the area, and there have even been several eyewitness accounts of successful births. The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is proud to be a principal partner in this reintroduction project. Our role is to maintain a core herd of breeding animals. This breeding herd serves as a reserve population, and as a potential back-up for the wild herd. It also provides a fresh source of offspring which may eventually be released and united with the wild herd. So on your next visit to our zoo, or if you happen to be hiking in the area of Nahal Kziv, look out for our Persian fallow deer, and try to remember the profound drama that is the story of the deer's return to their historical homeland in the Land of Israel. Iran Hunting safariThe Persian Fallow Deer (Dama mesopotamica) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. It is treated here as its own species, but it is also often described as a subspecies of Fallow Deer and named Dama dama mesopotamica.Description : Persian fallow deer are bigger than Fallow Deer, their antlers bigger and less palmated. They are nearly extinct today, inhabiting a small habitat in Khuzestan, southern Iran, two rather small protected areas in Mazandaran (northern Iran), and an island in Lake Urmia in north western Iran. They were formerly found from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the Cyrenaica and Cyprus. Their preferred habitat is open woodland. They are bred in zoos and parks in Iran, Israel and Germany today. The existing population may be suffering from inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. |