Crocodile Safaris and Farming

Interesting facts on the feared reptile

Crocodiles are one of the most interesting reptiles found on the earth and in Zimbabwe there are a lot of places where one can find them.

Crocodiles are indeed very dangerous and people should be protected from them and the best way to do that is to study the behaviour of crocodiles and their effects on people sharing the same water with them.

However, people should not be afraid to go and see crocodiles and their way of life as people in charge of them have studied their behaviour and can protect visitors from the dangerous crocodiles.

Learning some facts about crocodiles will make one want to see a crocodile. One interesting fact is that crocodiles are said to be a combination of three animal orders. It is believed that they have a brain like that of a mammal and are regarded as the most intelligent of all reptiles.

They have a digestive system like that of a bird and a reptile’s metabolism which is entirely solar powered. Crocodiles may be a combination of three animal orders but in truth, crocodiles are more closely related to birds and dinosaurs than to reptiles.

Crocodiles are even considered to be dangerous to themselves because injuries can be fatal when crocodiles fight for dominance as well as during mating rites.

The looser is simply eaten by the rest of the group. It is during this time of fighting that the little ones pray that they grow faster as it is only when these animals reach a length of over 2.5m that they are safe from each other.

One may wonder how these interesting animals multiply the answer is right here. The female crocodiles lay eggs but the embryos have no sex.

Believe it or not the temperature of the sand around the nest determines the offspring’s sex.

Temperatures around 30ºC produce males and any temperature higher or lower produces females.  For interest’ sake, a group of crocodiles is called a “bask”, which makes a lot of sense since they are solar powered.

Zimbabwe boasts of a number of crocodile farms and people can actually go and see the crocodiles for themselves. Just a few kilometres from the city of Harare going toward the west on your way to Norton is Lake Chivero, a place where crocodiles are kept.

For those people who live in Mashonaland West, crocodiles can be found at Crocodile Farm just outside Banket. There, shelters for the crocodiles are built and people can watch them without endangering themselves.

Another interesting crocodile farm is in Kariba, just a few kilometres from the dam. In Victoria Falls there is one and people can feed their eyes and learn about the interesting animal. At these farms, products made from the crocodile skin are displayed and sold to tourists.

Ladies should definitely consider visiting these places because there are beautiful handbags made from the crocodile skin varying in colour and style.

Men too should go to these farms because there are belts that every man should consider owning. This list also includes doormats, shoes and belts used on some wrist watches.

This is a call to those people who have never seen crocodiles to go and see them as the animals are worth watching and you might find yourselves visiting these places more often and buying the products mentioned above.