Israel has culled 200 Nile crocodiles from an abandoned farm in the occupied West Bank after they resorted to cannibalism and posed a significant risk to humans. The reptiles were being kept in poor conditions, with insufficient access to food, leading them to engage in cannibalistic behavior.
The Israeli defense ministry body COGAT reported that the crocodiles had escaped from an abandoned compound due to deteriorating fencing, allowing them to enter nearby communities and nature reserves. After years of seeking solutions, authorities decided to take action and cull the animals.
A video showing teenagers throwing stones at the crocodiles prompted authorities to intervene. The farm, located in the Israeli settlement of Petzael, was previously opened to tourists but was turned into a commercial farm for crocodile skin after a 2013 law made Nile crocodiles a protected species.
The culling process was authorized by the Parks and Nature Authority, which also kills other animals like pigs, dogs, and jackals in Israel. An Israeli animal rights organization denounced the move, arguing that the reptiles had never attacked anyone. The owner of the farm, Gadi Bitan, claimed he was not warned of the culling and described it as an “execution.”
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crocodiles-killed-west-bank-farm-cannibalism-risk-humans-israel