A fox that tumbled from a cliff several dozen meters high in the Judean Desert survived the fall and ran back to its den, according to rare footage captured Friday morning.
The video, shot by nature photographer Shmuel Prochter, shows the fox climbing a cliff with a crow nearby. The crow appeared to startle the fox, which slipped and fell into thick bushes below. The animal then climbed back up to a nearby den.
The incident occurred near the Mar Saba monastery, an ancient Christian site carved into desert rock east of Jerusalem. The area is largely untouristed.
“I was photographing a house above the monastery when I noticed the fox sliding down,” Prochter told ynet. “At first I didn’t understand why it jumped. After watching the video I realized the crows probably scared it.”
Prochter, who frequently hikes in remote parts of Israel, said the site is beautiful but suffers from litter left by visitors. “It’s one of the most amazing places and very close to Jerusalem, about half an hour from Maale Adumim,” he said.
A friend of Prochter posted the clip to the “Israel Wild Mammals” group on social media, where it quickly went viral.