August 17, 2015

The Kishon River Authority recently released 12 soft-shelled turtles to the Kishon River as part of the ongoing restoration and rehabilitation project to improve the water quality of what was once Israel’s most polluted streambed.

The hatchlings were born in the Hula Nature Reserve and were transferred to the banks of the Kishon River to the growing turtle community there.

Sharon Nissim, head of the Kishon River Authority, says the hatchlings will help maintain the biodiversity along the river. Nissim says conservationists recently found two new turtle nests along the riverbed’s banks.

The Kishon, one of Israel’s largest rivers, flows through the Jezreel Valley, passing through the Carmel hills on its way to Haifa Bay.

All the turtles are free at the Kishon River. Photo Alon Ben Meir, Kishon River Authority
All the turtles are free at the Kishon River. Photo Alon Ben Meir, Kishon River Authority

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