A vulture from an Israeli nature reserve was intercepted and detained on charges of espionage after it was discovered by locals who caught the suspected spy flying in Lebanese airspace. The Gamla Nature Reserve tracked the bird to near Bint Jbeil, a southern Lebanese village that's just a few kilometers away from the shared border with Israel, when reports began to emerge that the bird had been detained by locals who feared the bird was an Israeli spy due to the tags and devices from Tel Aviv University found on its body, according to CNN.
A series of photos came afterward, showing the vulture with the tags and rope tied around its leg, another showing a transmitter on the bird's back and a third showing two men displaying the vulture's wingspan.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority released a statement after the group learned of the vulture's plight: "Reports passed to us show the vulture tied with a rope by local people who write that they suspect Israeli espionage apparently because of the transmitter attached to him."
"In the 21st century, we expect people to understand that wild animals are not harmful. We hope that the Lebanese will release him," the statement continued, according to The Guardian.
The vulture was later released by locals "after examining the bird to make sure it was not carrying listening or spy equipment," reported local Arabic news site bintjbeil.org. However, Israeli Nature and Parks Authority workers have been unable to locate the vulture and fear for its health.
This incident highlights the level of distrust that Israel and its neighbors shares for one another, and it isn't the first time an animal has been inconvenienced as a result. In 2010, Egypt accused Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, of being responsible for a series of shark attacks in the Red Sea aimed at crippling Egypt's tourism agency. Later, Saudi officials detained a different vulture on suspicion of it being a Mossad spy.
The most recent attack last year after Hamas, a militant Palestinian group, apprehended a "Zionist spy dolphin" off the coast of Gaza.
