The Biblical Zoo works to restore and strengthenpopulations of endangered species, returning native wildlife - includinganimals once extinct in Israel - to their natural habitats.
At the crossroads of three continents, Israel is home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. For thousands of years, its landscapes have provided habitats for species from Europe, Asia, and Africa, creating one of the region’s richest natural ecosystems.
Biblical texts describe a land inhabited by bears, lions, deer, and countless other mammals, while the skies were filled with magnificent birds of prey such as the Griffon vulture and Lappet-faced vulture. Seasonal migrations brought flocks of storks overhead, and nocturnal raptors—including the Little Owl, Tawny Owl, and Barn Owl—thrived alongside countless reptiles, insects, and other wildlife. Later naturalists, including Henry Baker Tristram and Israel Aharoni, who explored the country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, recorded landscapes teeming with wildlife, from the valleys of Nahal Amud to the rolling hills of the Shephelah.
During the twentieth century, rapid development, urbanization, and habitat loss placed many of these species under increasing ecological pressure. Populations declined dramatically, and some disappeared from Israel altogether. These challenges continue today, making conservation, captive breeding, habitat restoration, and species reintroduction more important than ever.
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is proud to lead and support these vital efforts in close partnership with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Together, we are working to safeguard the country's unique biodiversity for future generations.
Discover more about our conservation projects, including the breeding and reintroduction of the Persian fallow deer, Griffon vulture, Ferruginous duck, Hula painted frog, Eurasian otter, Lesser kestrel, and Arabian oryx.
Our dedicated team carries out this work with passion, expertise, and a profound sense of responsibility. Every visit to the zoo directly supports these conservation initiatives, helping us protect endangered wildlife in Israel and contribute to global efforts to preserve the natural world.
The breeding and reintroduction project of the Griffon Vulture
The center incubates eggs of birds of prey from all over Israel
The breeding and display center for the largest bird of prey in Israel
Helping the Lesser Kestrel spread its wings
A backup population for nature – only at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem
The breeding and reintroduction program for the rare duck
The Persian Fallow Deer returns to the landscapes of Israel
The breeding center for the desert tortoise
The breeding and research center for the endemic fish
Saved from extinction thanks to zoos and returned to nature in Israel
The rare cat and the unsuccessful attempt
The breeding center of the shy mammal
The past project of conserving the blind shrimp
The fish that manages to survive around the Sea of Death
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