In another police and Nature and Parks Authority operation on Wednesday, a lion cub was found being held in a pit in the area of the Bedouin town of Bir Hadaj in the Negev Desert.
The cub, seemingly a three to four-month-old female, was rescued by officers from the Segev Shalom Police Station and the Border Police.
The cub was taken to the police station and handed over to Nature and Parks Authority inspectors, who will take it to a protected shelter to undergo medical treatment and examinations.
In total, during the ongoing operation, police and Nature and Parks Authority personnel rescued seven monkeys and three lion cubs who were held in illegal conditions. Some were found in complicated medical conditions and needed special treatment.
The Nature and Parks Authority stressed that privately holding protected wild animals such as lions and monkeys is a severe crime due to the significant harm to their welfare which stems from their complex needs which can not be met in a private setting.
Ben Rosenberg, the director of the Department for the Protection of Flora and Fauna in the Nature and Parks Authority, stated: "We have recently been witness to the illegal possession of smuggled wild animals that are difficult to raise. The harm to wild animals due to inadequate care is evident and unfortunately, they can not return to nature. The animals that came to us over the past week arrived at the treatment center sick, injured, and mutilated.
"This is terrible animal abuse which does not only endanger the animals but also humans since they could carry dangerous illnesses and pathogens. We thank the public for alerting us and the Israel Police when finding videos on the web of the illegal possession of protected animals. If by chance you come across a video, continue to alert us and the police, it saves lives."