Israeli Plan to Build Crocodile-Filled Moat Around Prison Faces Court Battle

Israel’s government plan to deter escapes at Ketziot Prison by digging a moat and filling it with Nile crocodiles has triggered a legal fight. A Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction stopping the Israel Prison Service from deploying the reptiles until the case is resolved. The challenge follows a move by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to reclassify Nile crocodiles, which animal rights group Let the Animals Live argues was improper and risks harm to the animals. The court set deadlines for the government to respond.