Impact of the War on Wildlife in Israel
Wildlife reacts extremely sensitively to loud noises, particularly when they occur suddenly and are accompanied by explosive sounds. Many animals panic, lose their natural sense of orientation and flee from their habitats. This can have long-term effects on populations and the ecological balance.
The ongoing noise of war in Israel has undoubtedly had a significant impact on the country's wildlife.
Scientific studies have shown that animal populations in conflict zones suffer from severe stress, with their reproductive behaviour and foraging impaired. Endangered species in particular may be seriously threatened in their survival by the noise of war.
Israel's reptile population suffers from war stress, according to a TAU study
The blood of lizards following military jet overflights showed higher ketone and corticosterone levels. While much coverage has focused on the human toll of the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the ongoing hostage crisis, the continued rocket fire from Hezbollah and the economic consequences of Houthi attacks at sea, a new study from Tel Aviv University has found that Israeli wildlife is also suffering.
The peer-reviewed Israeli study, published in the prestigious journal Ecology describes the various impacts of the war on domestic and wild animals.
Wildlife populations in Israel have lost habitat due to direct rocket strikes, the fires ignited by Hezbollah in northern Israel, and the “exploitation by displaced persons.” The sudden loud noise generated by military activities is also a stressor for domestic and wild animals.
The effects of military noise on Israeli wildlife
Earlier studies have shown that aircraft overflights can increase the heart rate of mammals — reptiles, however, were not considered in those studies.
While a 2016 study found that reptiles respond only minimally to anthropogenic noise, this study determined that the lizard Aspidoscelis neotesselatus exhibits stress responses to military jet overflights. This resulted in the observed lizards spending more time foraging to compensate for the energy lost during their stress response.
A 2021 study on the blind snake Xerotyphlops syriacus also recorded increased respiration during rocket attacks — further evidence that reptiles are not immune to the effects of war. After researchers at TAU began observing Stenodactylus sthenodactylus geckos in 2023, rockets began striking Tel Aviv. During this unplanned confounding event, researchers found that the heart rate of the geckos in the immediate aftermath of an explosion was 2.3 ± 0.3 times higher for up to 30 minutes than it was four hours after the explosion. The metabolic rates of the geckos were also 1.6 times higher 30 minutes after the explosion than 4 hours afterwards. The researchers commented on their findings: «We assume that the elevated metabolic costs indicate an acute stress response triggered by the loud noise or the shockwaves of the explosions, persisting to a lesser degree for several hours afterwards,» the researchers stated. «Our data suggest that the harmful effects for geckos may persist for as long as the hostilities continue. It is also worth noting that we recorded the responses in a sheltered, windowless room with concrete walls. In the wild, animals are far more exposed and may be affected by explosions more severely and across a larger area.»
Prof. Eran Levin added: «A state of stress is harmful to both humans and animals. To compensate for the increased oxygen consumption and depletion of energy reserves, the animals must eat more. Even if they manage to find food, they expose themselves to predators and lose the opportunity to reproduce. In prolonged conflicts, such as those currently occurring in the Gaza Strip, the Gaza area and along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the metabolic costs can be considerable and can severely affect the energy reserves and activity times of reptiles and other animals. This can worsen their conservation status, particularly for species that are already endangered.»
Shahar Dubiner concluded: «Our research was conducted in a laboratory at Tel Aviv University and related to the reverberations of explosions from interception operations in the vicinity of Tel Aviv. However, given the clear results indicating stress symptoms, we can assume that animals located in the immediate conflict zones in the south and north of the country, where the intensity and frequency of fire is much higher, are suffering from significantly more severe stress and anxiety symptoms that may endanger their lives.»
