India considers using snakes and crocodiles to guard border with Bangladesh

The Indian Border Security Force is exploring the possibility of using unconventional methods to strengthen security on the border with Bangladesh. In particular, it is about the potential use of wild animals — snakes and crocodiles — in hard-to-reach border areas.

According to Indian media reports, citing internal documents of the service, the initiative concerns river sections of the border, where due to the difficult terrain, regular floods and natural obstacles, the installation of engineering barriers is practically impossible.

The total length of the border between India and Bangladesh exceeds 4 thousand kilometers. A significant part of it is already fortified with fences and technical means of control, but hundreds of kilometers still remain open due to natural conditions — in particular, wetlands, rivers and hills.

In such places, border guards have been instructed to conduct a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of involving natural deterrent factors, including wild reptiles. However, at present, this idea is only at the analysis stage and is not an approved solution.

At the same time, experts draw attention to the significant risks of such an approach. Among the main caveats are the lack of animal control mechanisms, the potential threat to the local population, and unpredictable consequences during seasonal floods, when the situation on the border becomes less controllable.

Experts also emphasize that the use of wild animals for security purposes can cause both legal and ethical discussions, in particular regarding liability for possible harm to civilians.

Despite this, India continues to look for new ways to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime in a difficult natural environment.

It is expected that based on the results of the analysis, the border service will determine the feasibility of further development of this initiative or propose alternative solutions.