Israel reportedly reclassifies Nile crocodiles amid proposal to use them at prisons

Israel has reportedly redesignated the Nile crocodile as a “tended wild animal,” a change that media say could remove a legal obstacle to an earlier proposal to use crocodile-filled moats as a prison-security measure.

What was changed and who announced it

According to Israeli media reports cited by IOL, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman redesignated the Nile crocodile this week from its previous classification. The new status of “tended wild animal” allows the reptiles to be kept in a wider range of facilities, the reports say.

The proposal and its backers

The idea to surround prisons with crocodile-filled moats was reportedly floated late last year by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who argued the reptiles would boost security and deter escape attempts. Israeli media said Ben-Gvir has targeted Ketziot Prison, a penitentiary in southern Israel that holds primarily Palestinian prisoners, as the first site for the animals.

Legal objections and warnings

Earlier, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority had deemed the plan legally unfeasible because Nile crocodiles were classified as wild animals that could only be kept in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. The redesignation reportedly came despite warnings from the Environmental Ministry’s legal adviser, who told Minister Silman she did not have authority to unilaterally change the crocodiles’ status and lay the groundwork for their deployment in prisons.

Prison service interest and cost estimates

Israeli media report that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) reviewed the proposal and sent officers to the Hamat Gader crocodile farm early in January to familiarise themselves with the reptiles. The IPS reportedly favoured the idea and considered acquiring smaller specimens priced at about $8,000 per animal 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, according to the reports.

Current status

Media coverage framed the redesignation as removing the legal barrier that had limited Nile crocodiles to zoos and sanctuaries, potentially opening the door to their use in non-zoo facilities, including prisons. Reports say meetings took place between Minister Ben-Gvir, Minister Silman, the ministry’s legal adviser and the Nature and Parks Authority chief Raya Soraki to press the proposal.

What the reporting says and what it does not

The accounts in Israeli media and those cited by IOL describe proposals, reclassification and internal discussions. The reports use the word “reportedly” regarding plans and motives; they do not present confirmation that crocodiles have been moved to any prison or that any crocodile moat has been constructed.