There is indeed such a place next to Ein Gedi, called Nahal David (David Creek). Though nothing is guaranteed with wild animals.
I am actually hoping to get a close look at Hyrax
A close look? How close? Your best bet is to look for a zoo that holds them in a small cage. Other than that, these are wild animals, and it won’t be easy to catch a close look at one. I heard that there are some in the Ramat Gan Safari, though I could not confirm that from that website – you want might to call or email and ask.
That said, the Rock Hyrax is a common animal in Israel, and I’ve seen families many times, especially in the north of the country. If you go hiking in the Galilee or Carmel region you are likely to find some. However, if I was actively looking for them, I’d go to a colony whose location is well known. Examples I know of:
Speaking strictly statistically, judging by the official range of the creature, it actually runs in two bands from the north of the Dead Sea, down the west a bit, and down the east. Notably, not SW (you may have to zoom into the map).
Animals are of course, wild and hard to predict – the bane of anyone looking for something in a wildlife reserve. However, often locals might point to where a family of the animal has been recently, so do ask around. For example, in Cape Town, South Africa, there’s a known group of dassies (Afrikaans for ‘hyrax’) that live at the top of the cable car on Table Mountain (go figure!).
Otherwise it often comes down to luck, so good luck!
EDIT: additional Ein Gedi notes:
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
5 Mar, 2024
4 Mar, 2024