Silman declares Nile crocodile ‘cultivated wild animal’ to allow Ben-Gvir's 'crocodile prison' plan
The environmental protection minister changed the crocodile’s legal status to facilitate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s proposed “crocodile prison.”
Assessment
Environmental Protection Minister Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile as a 'cultivated wild animal,' a legal maneuver that clears a regulatory path for National Security Minister Ben-Gvir's plan to establish a prison guarded by crocodiles. The change in legal status appears designed to bypass existing restrictions on using dangerous wildlife in correctional facilities. The move raises questions about the intersection of environmental law and penal policy, and whether other regulatory hurdles remain for the proposal.