Leave for Change in Botswana

Wow. Just wow.

Jason and I swung by the Krocovango Crocodile Farm today which is about 10km outside of Shakawe. I did not expect to see the sheer number of crocodiles they currently have in residence.

While operating as a tourist attraction, they also raise crocodiles to slaughter them for their skin and meat. While I’m definitely not a fan of that particular part of their operation it is the off-season and, thankfully, we did not witness any of the “processing”.

Just a warning, this thread is full of some rather frightening pictures (at least, for me anyway)! I thought I’d start off light with a picture of some cute cats. These particular guys live on the TOCaDI property just outside the house that I’ve been staying in. I strongly suspect that the lack of snakes (so far) is thanks to them. In return, they are very well fed. Their names are Walter (aka “Stupidface”) and Mondale.

Guard cats

So, on to the crocodiles. This particular one is over 60 years old. They can live up to 120 years. The picture really doesn’t do him justice as he is easily 14-15 feet in length and just massive.

King of the crocodiles

These signs were posted all over the place. I sure have to question whether it is a running concern at the farm since the gray/green mass in the background is a bunch of crocs.

Thanks for the warning!

Yep, this pretty much sealed the deal. I brought the swim trunks for no reason. I am not getting in the water.

12x zoom is your friend

Not the best picture, I know. There were so many of them in some areas that they were crawling all over each other. In some ways they appeared to be cuddling, but not in the cute adorable sense. These are full grown adults (mostly females, the males are too aggressive in larger which makes it difficult for breeding).

Yep, still not swimming

Nice close-up shot of some really poor dentistry. I’d certainly seek a second opinion. Really though, crocs lock their jaws open in order to regulate their temperature (through their tongue).

Check out the teeth!

Once you leave the adult crocodile area they walk you through the breeding areas. There are three of these large open areas with a small covered pond. In each of the areas, there are probably a few hundred crocodiles. The ones here about between 6 months to 2 years old. Interestingly enough, they startle easily. When we would walk near them they would all jump up and hide in the covered area.

Croc toddlers

It’s a bit hard to see but you’re probably looking at over a thousand baby crocodiles between the ages of 4-6 months. The survival rate for them at this age is about 80% due to sheer number of them. During feeding season, they will often pile upon one another in order to feed and crush the ones near the bottom. They have to clean these areas each day to remove the bodies.

Baby crocs

It was an interesting experience! Sadly, one of my last in Africa as I’m leaving Shakawe for Maun tomorrow as part of the first leg in the trip back to Canada.