The armed forces have used animals in their armed conflicts since ancient times. Horses and dogs come to mind first. Horses were exploited in all wars, up to the middle of the 20th century. During World War II, the Soviet cavalry almost attacked the tanks of the Reich’s armed forces. Police in Australia today use horses to protect themselves from lockdown protestants.

Dogs are still used today, but more humanely than before. For example, during World War II, dogs tied with grenades were trained to run under approaching tanks after the grenades pins were removed.

It seems to most that animals should not suffer during human conflicts. It is not their fault that it is in the order of things for people to fight each other. But that’s a slightly different topic. Now dogs are looking for criminals and lost people, find weapons and prohibited substances in hiding places.

But man also used other animals for military purposes. For example, it is said that Knyaginya Olga, having lost her beloved spouse, Igor of Kiev tied burning wicks to birds in order to burn down the city of Iskorosten (now Korosten). Even before our era, the Persians drove dogs and cats in front of them in one of their many battles with the Egyptians, sacred animals for the representatives of the ‘land of the pyramids’.

Elephants and pigs were used in hostilities, and from different sides. Alexander the Great began to actively use the elephants. Even those who have watched the famous film know that the Hindus fought these huge animals. And they did it competently, by the way. 

It is very difficult to fight against an elephant, moreover, when it is protected by armour plating.  First, it’s scary. Secondly, it is difficult to find a weak spot in this giant. So Alexander took over the experience, making his army invincible. 

It is known that in 266 BC the Macedonian king Antigonus II decided to capture the Greek city of Megara. The Greeks were desperately short of fighting men. But defending is always easier than attacking and Antigonus understood this perfectly. He did not throw his entire strength into the assault on the fortress. He decided to send soldiers with elephants to the walls so that they slowly began to destroy the fortress.  The Greeks were not at a loss. They gathered all the pigs in the city. They smeared them with combustible materials, set them on fire and released them towards the elephants.

The pigs, of course, were in a panic. They darted among the elephants, screeching loudly. The gigantic animals got scared, turned to meet the main accumulation of Macedonian troops, began to crush the soldiers, sow panic. The outcome was that Antigonus had no choice but to retreat.

This king gave the matter serious thought. When his army regained much of their strength, he ordered the troops to train the elephants so that they get used to the sight of pigs, fire, and the screeching of domestic animals. This is not the only case in history, when the owners of pigs and boars were up against fighting animals like elephants.

In 275 BC, the Romans acted in this way against the legendary Pyrrhus. The phrase ‘Pyrrhic victory’ is connected with him. Meaning that success was achieved, but with huge losses. This king carried such in 279 BC, fighting with all the same Romans. The defenders of Edessa scared away the elephants of Khosrow I from the walls of the city.

It is known that a piglet was taught to search for prohibited substances, has served or is still serving in one of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow.  In Israel, there was an idea to teach pigs to attack Islamist terrorists. 

It was thought that the piglets would attack Muslims, and they would be afraid to commit terrorist attacks in places where there are aggressive pigs, because such a neighbourhood could deprive them of their place in paradise. The problem is that making piglets aggressive is a challenge. Source .Translation by Michael Walsh.