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Rescuers have saved four ibex – a species of wild mountain goat – that became trapped in a remote and slippery section of the Vardit Stream in the Negev Desert.
The animals were spotted by tourists, who alerted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Inspectors initially waited to see whether the goats could free themselves, in keeping with the principle of minimising human intervention in wildlife. But after it became clear that they were unable to escape, an authority inspector and the area manager entered the difficult terrain and rescued two of them.
A wooden ramp was then built and left at the site in the hope that the remaining ibex could use it to climb to safety.
The plan worked for one of the animals, which managed to use the ramp and return to safety by itself.
The final ibex required a more complicated operation involving specialists who managed to free the animal.
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