Birds of Prey Aid Israeli Army in Locating Corpses from Hamas Attack

In a groundbreaking development, data collected from carrion-eating birds has helped the Israeli army locate corpses around the sites of the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas militants. Eagles, vultures, and other birds of prey fitted with tracking devices have played a crucial role in the search for human remains, according to Ohad Hatzofe of Israel's Nature and Parks Authority. The idea stemmed from the EITAN unit within the army's human resources branch, which is responsible for locating missing soldiers.

When the war started, reservists serving in that unit approached Hatzofe, asking if his birds could assist in any way. Hatzofe leads a program that tracks endangered griffon vultures, as well as eagles and other birds of prey that consume carrion. The program involves tagging hundreds of birds with GPS trackers to study their migratory patterns, feeding habits, and the environmental threats they face. On October 23, a rare sea eagle, which had returned to Israeli skies the day before after spending the summer in northern Russia, was found near Beeri, just outside the Gaza Strip.

Hatzofe promptly forwarded his data to the army, and as a result, four bodies were recovered. However, he was unable to disclose further information regarding the location or identities of the corpses. Beeri, a kibbutz agricultural community, suffered the loss of 85 residents when Hamas militants stormed across the highly-militarized border, carrying out the worst attack since the creation of Israel in 1948. Israeli authorities reported that over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, died in the attack. In response, Israel launched a relentless bombardment and ground invasion, resulting in the deaths of more than 10,500 people, predominantly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Additionally, around 30 individuals are still missing or presumed to be among the approximately 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the attack. The data collected from a second bird, a Bonelli's eagle, also assisted in the recovery of other bodies within Israel. As of Monday, Israeli police have identified a total of 843 civilian bodies and 351 soldier bodies. Unfortunately, several weeks after the Hamas attack, many others who are listed as missing still remain unfound or unidentified. This remarkable collaboration between the Israeli army and the natural world highlights the importance of innovation and unconventional methods in addressing challenging situations. The use of data from carrion-eating birds has proven to be an invaluable tool in locating human remains and providing closure for the families affected by this tragic event.