Israel has proposed a radical idea: to use crocodiles to guard prisons. The Jewish state has reportedly reclassified Nile crocodiles as “tended” animals, which could clear the way for the animals’ use as part of prison security.
The controversial proposal to surround prisons with crocodile-filled moats was reportedly floated late last year by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The politician argued that the reptiles would strengthen security and deter escape attempts. The plan was initially deemed legally unfeasible by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority because Nile crocodiles were classified as wild animals that could only be kept in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
The reclassification opens the door to the use of Nile crocodiles in prisons for security.
According to a report by RT, the official legal obstacle was reportedly removed this week when Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman redesignated the Nile crocodile as a “tended wild animal,” Israeli media reported on Friday. The new classification allows the reptiles to be kept in a wider range of facilities, potentially including prisons.
According to Israeli media reports, Ben-Gvir wants to first introduce the reptiles to Ketziot Prison, a penitentiary in southern Israel that holds primarily Palestinian prisoners. After he first floated the proposal, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) reviewed it and sent officers to the Hamat Gader crocodile farm early in January to familiarize themselves with the reptiles.
The Israel Prison System (IPS) has stated that this could save it a lot of money, and they are in favor of the security minister’s proposal. The IPS is also considering settling for smaller specimens that would cost about $8,000 per head rather than older reptiles costing around $20,000. “This is a relatively small sum compared with the security investment a prison requires, and the results would be even better,” an IPS source told the Maariv newspaper, as reported by RT.