A Palestinian who tried to sell a lion cub was sentenced to 30 months in prison as part of a plea deal, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
The West Bank man was sentenced by the Judea Military Court after pleading guilty to several offenses, including possessing a stolen M-16 rifle.
According to the man’s WhatsApp records, he tried to sell the cub for NIS 50,000 and offered to sell other animals, including a tiger. However, police couldn’t locate the cub or any of the other animals the man claimed to own.
In addition to a prison term, the man will also pay a NIS 5,000 fine.
Chief prosecutor for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Shai Peretz, welcomed the ruling.
“I see the sentence as a clear and unequivocal message from the military court against the illegal possession of wild animals and harm to them,” said Peretz.
“The significant punishment imposed reflects the severity of the acts and the importance of protecting wildlife, alongside the deterrence required against those involved in offenses of this kind,” he added.
Lions often smuggled throughout Israel
Wildlife smugglers have trafficked lions in Israel before. In January, authorities transferred two cubs recovered from illegal smuggling to a wildlife reserve in South Africa.
In 2025, a video showing a person driving a car with a lion cub and monkey went viral online, leading police to seize a cub in a southern Bedouin village.
According to Ynet, Israel Nature and Parks Authority Inspector Adva Peretz said at the time that lions, being wild animals, shouldn’t be kept in homes.
“They are social animals that require complex care," said the inspector. "They are also dangerous and, as they grow, can pose a serious threat to humans. We will do everything possible to return them to their natural habitat.”
According to a 2025 Channel 12 report, police believe that smugglers use drones to bring animals into the country while evading border searches.