Israel Begins Digging Crocodile Moats in Ktziot Prison Pilot Program

Construction has started at Ktziot Prison in southern Israel to dig crocodile moats as part of a pilot project called "Crocodile Prison." The project involves excavating a roughly 170-meter-long moat around a special wing inside the prison grounds, with additional sewage work outside the facility. The Ramat Negev Regional Council sent an inspector to oversee the work, noting that while it is unclear if crocodiles will actually be placed there, preparations are underway.

The National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's office emphasized that the initiative is not a gimmick and confirmed the pilot began officially after Minister Idit Silman signed off and declared the Nile crocodile a protected wild animal. The Israel Prison Service is prepared to implement the program, including crocodile maintenance and security measures, with prison guards trained to protect both the facility and the crocodiles. The National Security Ministry allocated 21 million shekels for the moat construction and related infrastructure.

Officials stated the move aims to ease the burden on guards who oversee Palestinian security prisoners from the Nukhba unit. Ben-Gvir remarked, "Those who murdered, massacred, and acted like beasts deserve to be guarded by a beast, just like them." However, practical challenges remain: only two Nile crocodiles are currently housed at Hamat Gader, making it difficult to supply the prison, and permits from the Nature and Parks Authority are required. Additionally, the Crocoloco farm in the Arava has about 200 crocodiles, but no requests have been made to use them for security purposes so far.