A golden jackal.
Just when I think that I've seen just about everything that Israel has to offer....
So the other day I was walking through the Baha'i Gardens here in Haifa - as I do every day on my way home from work - when I see this small fluffy animal sort of scampering or hopping down the hill and into the bushes. And I thought "oh my gosh - it's Peter Rabbit!" which of course came out "ah! A bunny!" [sometimes when I get really excited I experience a disconnect in my brain between my thoughts and the words that come out of my mouth].
Small fluffy ball of animal cuteness, noting my fascination and adoration, pauses and sort of looks back at me - and I think, "fox?!" [with more than a little excitement].
And then a colleague of mine catches me up and spies what I spy and says "jackal".
Dear friends, I finally - after nearly 4 years of living in Israel - saw my first jackal. Specifically a golden jackal (yes, the italics are really necessary. This is a big deal!) who, according to wikipedia, are the only jackals to live outside of continental Africa.
Oh! And it was a baby golden jackal. And would totally have let me pet him had other people not been around.
Dear Israel - thanks for always being ready with a great surprise!
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