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The Israel Prison Service (IPS) has taken an unusual step in exploring future prison security, sending senior officers on a study visit to the Hamat Gader crocodile farm in northern Israel on Thursday. The visit was aimed at assessing a proposal to surround a high-security detention facility with live crocodiles as a means of preventing escape attempts.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the concept is intended specifically for housing terrorist prisoners and would rely on a natural, lethal barrier instead of traditional layers of fencing and guard patrols. IPS representatives were briefed on crocodile behavior, feeding patterns, territorial instincts, and the risks involved in handling the reptiles.
The officers also reviewed logistical aspects, including containment methods, safety protocols for staff, and the feasibility of maintaining dozens of crocodiles around a secure compound. The visit was described as preparatory, taking place before any formal decision to construct such a prison has been approved.
The idea gained public attention last week after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raised it in discussions on strengthening detention conditions for terrorist inmates. Israeli media reported that Ben-Gvir suggested the crocodile-surrounded prison as a cost-effective and intimidating deterrent against escape attempts.
Under the proposal, the detention center would be built near Hamat Gader, a site already home to around 250 crocodiles of various species. Proximity to the farm would allow access to professional expertise, veterinary care, and a steady supply of animals suited to the environment.
A source familiar with the plan said the goal would be to acquire roughly 60 crocodiles to encircle the facility, creating a continuous water-filled moat. The reptiles would serve as a permanent obstacle, reducing the need for large numbers of armed guards stationed along the perimeter.
Cost estimates shared with IPS officials suggest that a small crocodile would cost about $8,000, while a large one could cost around $20,000. The National Security Ministry is reportedly considering purchasing younger crocodiles, which are still dangerous but less expensive, allowing them to grow within the compound over time.
“This is a relatively small sum compared with the security investment a prison requires, and the results would be even better,” the source told the daily Maariv. The source added that maintenance costs are expected to be modest compared to salaries, training, and long-term deployment of security personnel.
Supporters of the idea argue that crocodiles, as territorial predators, could provide a psychological deterrent as well as a physical one. The presence of live animals, they say, would make escape attempts far less likely and reduce the need for advanced technological surveillance systems.
However, the proposal is already raising ethical, environmental, and practical questions. Critics point to animal welfare concerns, the risks posed to prison staff, and the challenges of ensuring the crocodiles remain contained during floods, earthquakes, or other emergencies.
Security experts have also cautioned that while the concept may reduce certain costs, it would introduce new liabilities, including veterinary care, ecological management, and potential legal issues if an incident were to occur.
For now, IPS officials stress that the idea remains at an exploratory stage. The study visit to Hamat Gader was intended to gather professional input and evaluate feasibility, rather than signal immediate implementation.
Any final decision would require government approval, environmental assessments, and detailed planning. Until then, the crocodile-moat prison remains one of the most unconventional security concepts ever considered within Israel’s correctional system.