270 Crocodiles Killed, Now the Bill: State Sues Farm Operator

The State Attorney's Office is suing the operator of the crocodile farm in Petza'el for over one million shekels, claiming safety and maintenance deficiencies forced authorities to intervene. Actions taken by the state included securing the farm and euthanizing 270 crocodiles due to danger to human life. The lawsuit details repeated escapes since 2011 and the company's disregard for authorities' instructions.

The State Attorney's Office has filed a counterclaim for over one million shekels against the operator of the crocodile farm in Petza'el in the Jordan Valley. The claim alleges that severe safety and maintenance deficiencies forced state authorities to intervene, including performing fencing and security work, supervision and enforcement actions, and ultimately euthanizing 270 Nile crocodiles due to immediate and real danger to human life. According to the statement of claim, as early as 2011, dozens of crocodiles escaped from the farm, and since then, over about 14 years, authorities have taken numerous supervision and enforcement actions, including inspections, warnings, hearings, and repeated demands to rectify the deficiencies. The company, it is alleged, ignored authorities' instructions for years, avoided fixing the deficiencies, and continued operating the farm while creating ongoing risk. An expert opinion from the veterinary services determined that the holding conditions amounted to abuse, cruelty, or torture, and some crocodiles were found suffering from severe injuries, including amputated limbs due to cannibalism and dominance fights. The state seeks to obligate the company to reimburse the expenses incurred as a result of these actions, arguing that they would not have been incurred but for the company's actions and omissions.