From Bees to Bears: Animals Trained For War

Dolphin used by the U.S. military to perform mine clearance in the Iraq war 

Sadly, regardless of how barbaric it may be, war is a scourge of humanity that has yet to be eradicated. Since ancient times, military forces across the globe have used every weapon and strategy imaginable in an effort to gain an edge over their enemies. One such idea has been training animals for use in maneuvers from intelligence gathering to combat.

An animal trained for military purposes that recently made news is the dolphin. In the Ukranian conflict, Russia seized a number of dolphins from Ukraine that were trained by their military. For decades, the dolphins were taught to recognize enemy submarines, attack enemies via knives attached to their heads and carry bombs in "suicide" missions. 

Currently the United States has 75 dolphins in San Diego that have been trained for military purposes. Historically, the U.S. has used dolphins in military operations in both Viet Nam and Iraq.

Read more about military dolphins and other animals used to fight human conflicts here.

Image: Wikipedia