Robert C. CASTEL

Robert C. CASTEL

Israel National Parks Authority, Israel

roby_castelnpa [dot] org [dot] il

Chief Security Officer at Israel National Parks Authority – 2014 - Current; Head of Security and Operations – Northern District – Israel National Parks Authority – 2009 – 2014;Various Command and Staff  Positions – Security, Operations & Search and Rescue - Israel’s National Police  - Superintendent – 1995 – 2009; Various Command and Staff Positions – Israel Defense Forces – Captain –1990 – 1995; Professional Accomplishments; Holder of professional designation Certified Security Manager – accreditation by Israel’s National Police; Holder of professional designation Certified Protection Manager - accreditation by Israel’s National Police; Holder of professional designation Certified Crisis Intervention Negotiator – accreditation by Israel’s National Police; Holder of professional designation Certified Firearms Instructor – accreditation by Israel’s Ministry of Internal Security; Holder of professional designation Certified Instructor in Security and Management - accreditation by Israel’s Ministry of Education; Holder of professional designation Cyber Security Practitioner – accreditation pending. Teaching History; Lecturer at the Israel Defense Forces Staff College – teaching Creativity and Innovation in the Operational Environment; Lecturer at the Israel National Police Academy; Lecturer at several Security Colleges accredited by the Israel National Police

Education; Post-doctoral at the Israel Democracy institute - Counterterrorism; Ph.D. at the University of Haifa - Innovation in the Security Domain; B.A. Honors Program at the University of Haifa

Wildlife Weaponized: What Makes Zoos the Ideal Target for Terrorists?

Abstract

During the last onehundred years,wildlife all but disappeared from our horizons as a  threat vector. For the first time in human history, we are more concerned aboutdefending wildlife from humans, than the other way around. However, as the current COVID crisis demonstrated, any contact between the two,carries both indirect and direct dangers. Withthe current pandemics as a grim reminder of the latter, we are still very much oblivious to the former. Few would consider zoological gardens (zoos) as critical infrastructure. However, giving these facilities a second look, we will readily recognize all the elements that turn them into lucrative targets for terrorists. In essence, zoos are complexes,whose sole raison d’ètreis brining into close proximity human crowds and dangerous wildlife. The fact that mostof the world’s 10,000 odd zoos are located mainly in urban areas, greatly enhances their value as targets. With both the toolsof attack and the targets already in place, the only thing a would-be terrorist has to do,is to disrupt the means and processes separating between the two. As of today, the risk management  practices of most zoological gardens focuson safety, rather than security. This fact is reflected in the risk mitigation controls put in place, in the attention bandwidth allocated bypublic safety organizations and in the policies developed by the regulatory bodies. The purpose of my lecture is to draw attention to the fact that both zoos and the communities hosting them,are woefully ill-prepared for a terrorist attack aimed at unleashing dangerous wildlife first on the patrons of the zoo, and second on the communityas a whole. The lecture is built in equal measure on my research in terrorism and my work as a senior security manager and wildlife control specialist.