Israeli far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested that crocodiles could be used for security roles around a Hamas prison, though Israeli wildlife experts have panned the idea.

“Alligator Alcatraz,” the Florida state-run tent and trailer immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades that attracted infamy for its poor living conditions, was officially shuttered last month after officials announced it had fulfilled its temporary emergency purpose. The site was chosen due to the surrounding swampland being heavily infested with alligators and venomous snakes, but no alligators were actually used by the facility.

Across the world, an Israeli official has pushed for a prison to be “guarded” by crocodiles. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a member of parliament for the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, called for the reptiles to be reclassified so that they could be used in security roles around a prison that holds Hamas detainees.

Environment Protection Minister Idit Silman, a former right-wing Likud and Yamina lawmaker, swiftly approved the reclassification, despite opposition from the ministry’s legal advisor as well as from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Are Crocodiles Actually Useful for Anything?

Silman reclassified Nile crocodiles as a “cultivated wild animal” rather than strictly a wild animal, which means it is a wild species raised in captivity for commercial purposes, including food, medicine or leather. Such undomesticated animals maintain their natural instincts, but are legally classified to allow controlled ownership or commercial breeding.

This classification isn’t unique to Israel. Crocodiles are widely cultivated, even if they are not domesticated like livestock. Around the world, they are bred in captivity on large-scale commercial farms, but retain their wild instincts—and, more importantly for the Israeli plan, their apex predator physiology.

It is important to note that crocodile farming manages the animals in close-cycle captive breeding systems rather than domesticating them for docility. Millions of crocodiles—notably the Saltwater, Nile, and Siamese species—are raised globally for their high-value leather, meat, and fat. The leading nations engaging in the legal crocodile trade are Thailand, Australia, and South Africa.

However, outside of James Bond films, crocodiles are rarely used as security animals, due in large part to their predatory behavior towards humans and their inability to be tamed.

Understanding Ben-Gvir’s Crocodile Prison Idea

Ben-Gvir’s program, which could move forward, would see crocodiles positioned around the Ketzi’ot Prison, the country’s detention facility, located in the Negev desert about 72 km (45 mi) southwest of the city of Beersheba. Since reopening in April 2002, primarily to hold Palestinian prisoners, it has been criticized for overcrowding, lack of family visits, poor food, no medical care, and even rodents.

The crocodiles might at least address the latter issue.

The calls to have moats filled with the crocodiles around the prison gained traction after the creation of the detention facility in Florida, although opponents of the plan noted that the Florida facility was built on land surrounded by wild animals and didn’t import them.

Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority remains critical, suggesting that cultivated wild animals shouldn’t be employed in such a role, and warned that the prison service lacks the training to maintain and care for the animals.

“We need to protect them, not have them protect us,” officials told Ben-Gvir and Silman, according to The Jerusalem Post. “That is not the spirit of the law.”

Crocodiles Aren’t a Good Fit for the Negev Desert

It is also unclear where the crocodiles would come from, and how the population would be maintained. The Negev desert would be an alien environment for crocodiles, and they would need to be housed and fed—presumably with something other than prison escapees.

Israel currently has no native wild populations of Nile crocodiles, as the region’s apex predator reptiles were hunted to extinction more than 100 years ago. Still, some crocodiles have escaped from a few of the country’s crocodile farms, notably the Petzael Farm in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank before it was shut down in 2013. A 2012 law classified the Nile crocodile as a protected species, which resulted in the closing of most commercial farming for meat and skins. The remaining centers operate as tourist attractions and conservation sanctuaries.

It is a long-running myth that crocodiles or alligators were sometimes placed in the moats of castles or fortresses, especially in the Middle East or Africa. It is unlikely any crocodiles could survive for long in a moat, especially one in the desert.

On the other hand, Český Krumlov Castle in the Czech Republic has maintained bears in its moat since the 16th century—potentially another idea for Ben-Gvir if his crocodile plan fails to pan out.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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