The Croc Farm

One of the days we were in Chirundu, we had the chance to go to the oldest Croc farm in Zimbabwe, and the 4th largest. Turns out that the hot semi humid climate of “The Valley” is perfect for Crocodiles. Go figure. In the 50’s there was a ban on Crocodile hunting in Zimbabwe because they were nearly hunted to extinction. Not that they were hunted for a purpose, but rather people would just stand on their boats and shoot the “filthy buggers” from afar, needlessly wounding and maiming thousands.
Jump ahead 60 years, and the croc numbers have flourished to the point of becoming pests along the Zambezi causing many game guides to want two crocs thrown in with every hunting package. “But, they do serve a purpose- they clean up the river of any dead animals, and waste” Chris Shepherd told me. He also told me the best way to swim the Zambezi, “Swim facing upstream, because crocs face upstream waiting for things to float by. That way you’ll see them long before they see you.” As if I would be able to spot a log staring at me in brown murky water…
The background about the road along the way to the croc farm deserves attention. The long dusty road is lined with what seems to be bombed out remains of homes, churches, and other buildings. Truth is, they are bombed out remains of homes, churches, and other buildings. Because the buildings were a few hundred meters from the Zambezi, during the war countless shells from “terrorists” destroyed what once used to be a thriving, predominantly white, town. Under a thousand whites, and several thousand laborers and domestics all lived there. When people fled, the locals destroyed what was left so they couldn’t be used as hideouts.
Enter the Croc farm. Given the increase in the need for croc hide for clothing and hand bags, the croc farm has been going long enough to have a healthy population of 80,000 or so crocs. There are a several large breeding pairs kept in separate pens the size of several Olympic pools, but most are kept in large swimming pool size pens made of cinder block. When they lay eggs, in goes a few guys with brooms to push them away, the eggs are gathered, and then put in an incubator. The incubator part is crucial: the sex of crocodiles is controlled by the temperature, not genetics. “Males are produced at around 31.6 °C (89 °F), and females produced at slightly lower and higher temperatures.”(Wikipedia) Is there a benefit to having more males than females? I’m not sure but interesting huh?

The majority of the crocs are under four feet long. Reason being: if they get any longer, and any older, their skin is too tough to tan. The result of all this is a several acre plot of land with countless holding tanks, and a stench that fills the air for miles around. Lining the croc pens however, you see wires a few feet above each pen. Turns out the killers are vulnerable after all. Marabou storks, one of the largest flying birds, fill the air nearby and stand on the edge of each tank at sunset. The wires help somewhat in stopping the storks fly in and out. The effect of seeing hundreds of massive hideous birds standing lone watch over the croc pens as the sun sets an eerie glow, is haunting to say the least…

Lining the yard of the croc farm manager you can find several hippo skulls. When asked why he had so many he said, “We go out each year and shoot two hippo. It’s the best meat for baby crocs we’ve found.” Despite their controlled environment, millions of years of living in close proximity with hippos still comes through…