Hartebeest extinction in biblical Israel resulted from human hunting and habitat loss

Hartebeest, an antelope species, survived in Israel until approximately 1,300 years ago, making their last stand in the Negev region. New research indicates that human hunting and habitat encroachment, rather than climate change, led to their extinction in the area, despite their resilience through earlier periods. Scientists are considering reintroducing a closely related, arid-adapted hartebeest variant from Ethiopia to Israel, potentially aiding conservation efforts and ecological restoration.