The desert lynx is now being praised as a Palestinian symbol.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A female desert lynx that attacked IDF soldiers close to the Egyptian border has become a “hero” among many Arabs on social media.

The lynx, or caracal, is now being praised as a Palestinian symbol. AI-generated images depict the lynx wearing a keffiyeh, a Hamas headband, or stepping on an Israeli flag.

The incident occurred last Wednesday. The animal was  transferred to a wildlife hospital at the Safari at Ramat Gan after biting several soldiers.

Ahmed Wahid, a wildlife photographer, speculated that although caracals seldom attack humans, the soldiers might have done something to cause her to believe they were a threat to her offspring, which likely prompted the attack.

However, anti-Israel voices on social media celebrated the incident as if the caracal intended to attack Israeli soldiers. Videos, images, articles, and posts praise the desert lynx for fighting against “occupation forces.”

Some likened the lynx to Egyptian border guard Mohamed Salah, who killed Israeli soldiers in June 2023.

On social media, posters made comments such as, “Thank you, Egyptian caracal,” “Even our animals know you (Israel) are the enemy,” and “Even nature rejects your existence.”

Arab actor Mohamed Diab posted an AI-generated image of himself with a caracal and the words “120 million caracals,” referring to the approximate population of Egypt.

Egyptian newspaper Al-Youm Al-Saba published an article titled, “The Story of the Egyptian Caracal, the Predator that Tasted the Flesh of Israeli Soldiers on the Border.”

The Egyptian news site Al-Qahera 24 interviewed an animal breeder from Suez who owns a desert lynx. The breeder says demand for the creature has soared since the incident and the social media response.

“Many people contacted me asking about the caracal,” he said. “They wanted to take pictures with it or even buy one. Then I saw the news and understood — the caracal is now a national Arab hero. It attacked, or at least its species, the occupation soldiers.”

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