The Israel Defense Force may decide to send its exotic animals out to pasture, but IDF dogs will be ordered to stay.
 
According to IsraelDefense, the exotic animals currently serve as guards and foliage clearers in some of the IDF’s bases. 
 
The animals, which became available as surpluses from the Ramat Gan Safari, were contributed to the army several years ago as part of a pilot project. Oryxes were assigned the duty of eating weeds and grass on the base grounds, as an alternative to chemical sprays, with the purpose of preventing brush fires. Barbary sheep, a particularly aggressive sheep that originates in the north African Atlas mountains, have been in use for guarding ammunition stores. 
 
The animals are in use at several Air Force bases, as well as an equipment base in the Galilee and emergency stores on the southern coastline. 
 
Antelopes were also used in IDF operations in southern Lebanon several years ago, in order to clear out brush from a river bed north of the border fence. Seven antelopes reportedly ate some of the bushes and cleared paths for themselves, assisting the IDF in uncovering some Hizbullah bunkers.
 
Llamas, which excel in carrying heavy loads in mountainous areas, have also been used in infantry training. IsraelDefense says this will now cease.
 
The army is said to be mulling the end of the exotic animal project in order to save the costs of veterinary care. In addition, there are concerns due to the animals’ proximity to soldiers’ quarters and because of territorial clashes with guard dogs.
 
Dogs in both guard duty and operational missions will not, however, be unleashed anytime soon. The dogs are used on a variety of assignments, including search and rescue operations.
 
The IDF Spokesman’s Unit said that staff work regarding animals is conducted by the IDF in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Parks and Nature Authority and the Ministry for Environmental Protection. A decision to release the wild animals has not yet been made, the Unit said. 
 
Official Arab sources in Egypt and Saudi Arabia have recently claimed that Israel uses sharks and vultures on spy missions.