India Proposes Using Crocodiles and Venomous Snakes to ‘Fence’ Border with Bangladesh
Yashraj Sharma
Indian officials have proposed a controversial plan to release apex predators like crocodiles and venomous snakes along the border with Bangladesh to deter illegal migration and smuggling, instead of building fences in difficult terrain. Human rights and wildlife conservation activists have expressed alarm, warning of ecological disruption and danger to local communities. The plan echoes past proposals in the U.S. and has no modern precedent.
New Delhi, India – Indian officials have proposed a controversial plan to release apex predators such as crocodiles and venomous snakes into riverine sections along the border with Bangladesh, aiming to create natural barriers that prevent illegal migration and smuggling in areas where fencing is difficult.
The 4,096-kilometre border between India and Bangladesh traverses rugged terrain, hills, rivers, and valleys. New Delhi has already erected fences along nearly 3,000 kilometres, but the remaining stretches include marshlands and waterways with communities living on both sides.
In an internal memo dated 26 March, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) – which patrols the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh – instructed its commanders on the eastern and northeastern fronts to “explore the feasibility of deploying reptiles in riverine gaps.” The memo was first reported by the Northwest News.
The plan has sparked concern among human rights and wildlife conservation activists. Angshuman Choudhury, a researcher focusing on India’s northeastern border states, called it “the pinnacle of cruelty and dehumanisation of illegal immigrants,” warning that “once venomous snakes and crocodiles are released, they will not distinguish between Bangladeshis and Indians.”
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs noted last year that “riverine/low-lying areas, populated border belts, pending land acquisitions, and objections from border residents have slowed fence construction in certain sectors.”
Analysts say the move reflects the Hindu-majority government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which views illegal migrants as a demographic threat. Human rights activists accuse the administration of using this rhetoric to “harass religious minority groups, especially Bengali Muslims.”
On the ecological impact, Rathin Barman – strategy and communications director at the Wildlife Conservation Society India – warned that crocodiles are not native to these border rivers. One crocodile species is found only in the Sundarbans (southern West Bengal), and another in limited wetlands of Assam. “If they are relocated to the border area, they may not survive and would die prematurely,” Barman said. He stressed: “Any intervention in a species’ natural range could disrupt the entire ecosystem chain.”
The swampy stretches are prone to flooding, which could allow venomous snakes to enter populated areas, endangering local communities, especially fishermen. Human rights activist Harsh Mander urged: “There is no justification for pushing illegal immigrants into rivers with crocodiles and snakes, or threatening them with guns.”
The plan has no modern precedent. During his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have discussed digging moats filled with snakes or alligators to deter migrants, but he later denied it. However, the South Florida detention centre in the U.S., nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened in July 2025. Located in a remote swamp, the facility is said to house apex predators that make escape nearly impossible, drawing criticism for inhumane conditions and ecological harm.
