Notes on the Non-flying Mammalian Fauna Characterizing both Sides of the Green Line; the De Facto Border between the Gaza Strip and Historic Palestine

Abstract

In spite of its small area, Palestine (27,000 km2) is home to diverse forms of flying and non-flying mammalian fauna. The 365 km2 Gaza Strip (about 1.5% of historic Palestine), which is located in the far southwest of Palestine, represents a strip isolated from the rest of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 by the so-called Green Line. The Green Line is currently supported by the so-called smart security wall, which would impede the ecological communication between the Gaza Strip and the rest of the lands of historic Palestine. This study aims to identify the non-flying mammalian fauna existing on both sides of the Green Line through field visits, interviews with border residents, zoo owners and wildlife hunters, and photographing hunted species. The results revealed at least 21 species of non-flying mammals belonging to 14 families and 5 orders marked both sides of the Green line. This number may change in the future depending on the development of scientific studies or the occurrence of any geopolitical and military changes in the region. Order Carnivora was the biggest and represented 42.9% of the species recorded, followed by the orders Rodentia (23.9%), Artiodactyla (14.3%), Eulipotyphla or Insectivora (14.3%) and Lagomorpha (4.7%). Most of the recorded mammals were located on both sides of the Green Line, with the exception of the Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), which have not yet been able to infiltrate and cross the Gaza Strip borders. A decade ago, the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) began breeding in separate parts of the Gaza Strip. The Etruscan Pygmy Shrew (Suncus etruscus) is, by far, the smallest non-flying mammal recorded in the Gaza Strip. All recorded mammals were subjected to poaching and hunting by wildlife hunters, and some species were deposited in private zoos that are spread in the Gaza Strip. It appears that the Negev Desert in southern Palestine and the Gaza Envelope which border the Gaza Strip to the East and North, represent an important depth for the influx of many wild mammals to the Gaza Strip across the Green Line. In conclusion, the study recommends the necessity of controlling the poaching and hunting of various forms of wildlife, whether they are present in the Gaza Strip or coming to it across the Green Line in order to preserve Palestinian biodiversity in a sustainable manner.