Animals of war

Hamas reported arresting an Israeli dolphin spy equipped with cameras and deadly arrows, a not unlikely scenario. The cetaceans have helped navies around the world to patrol the seas by using their sonar to search for underwater mines. The echolocation allows them to take a mental image of the object that can be described to their human handler using specific yes or no questions.

Angry stinger bees are an effective weapon when provoked. The ancient Greeks and Romans sometimes used the insects to deter their enemies by throwing beehives over castle walls. In modern warfare, bees have a more peaceful role detecting land mines.

California sea lions are part of the same US Navy marine mammal program as dolphins. The marine mammals are trained as underwater minesweepers, scouts and underwater spies. They even have the ability to cuff a human diver’s leg, enabling sailors to drag the suspects to the surface.

The American Navy had a special plan for these nocturnal creatures: batty suicide bombers. The idea was to attach tiny bombs to the mammals so they would cause small fires in Japanese cities when they flew to roost under roofs. The bats proved uncooperative so the mission was abandoned.

The large land mammals have been commonplace in military campaigns for thousands of year - at least as far back as Hannibal’s march across the Alps in 218 B.C. They would charge the enemy on the battlefield to break their ranks. The practice is thought to have originated in India.

Man’s best friend has played a diverse number of roles in human warfare. Armies used large breeds as war dogs to attack their enemies, but also to defend their territory. Today, canines rarely serve as weapons; instead, they are trained as messengers, scouts and trackers. Dogs act as bomb-sniffers for the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan, even having their own bullet-proof vests.

No animals of war list would be complete without the horse. The stallion has played perhaps the most important role of any animal in the history of armed conflict. Used by nearly every civilization for large-scale military campaigns since being domesticated, horses were only replaced when modern armies introduced technology such as tanks and machine guns.