Israeli crocodiles, which have sparked heated debate in Cyprus over their relocation to the island, could become an "international threat," according to Jordan Valley Regional Council chief David Elhayani.
In particular, in his statements to Sputnik, he said that crocodiles, which were intended to become a tourist attraction, with the speed at which they reproduce, could become a threat to the national security of Israel and beyond.
In the same post, David Elhayani expressed concern about the growing crocodile population in his area, without ruling out the outbreak of an "international conflict", he told Sky News. The reason for his concern comes from the fact that one of the crocodile farms in the Jordan Valley is located on the Israeli-Palestinian border. Although intended to attract tourists, the growing tension between Israel and Palestine is constantly postponing any initiative on the issue.
The crocodile farm was set up by businessman Gadi Biton, who planned to sell crocodile skin. But in 2012, a law was passed in Israel banning the sale of their skins, meat or use as a commodity.
For over 20 years crocodiles have been breeding on this farm. Today's speed of their reproduction can lead to the spread of thousands of crocodiles in the area where no one will know what to do. The recent attempt to transport crocodiles to Cyprus failed due to reactions from residents of the island, according to the same publication.
The report concludes that while the future of crocodiles remains unclear, they remain "trapped" on the farm, where only one employee is responsible for feeding them dead chickens every day. In fact, about 70 crocodiles have escaped in the past, with Elhayani fearing a mass escape could pose an international security threat. Finally, he concludes that "only then will someone wake up to solve this problem".
Source: SigmaLive