The Crocodile Ranch
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A few kilometres on the Zambian side of the Zimbabwe/Zambia
border at Victoria Falls is a crocodile ranch. The owners
raise Nile Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)
commercially for leather and meat at a larger facility
elsewhere in Zambia, but this is purely a tourist attraction
which exhibits mischievous "problem crocodiles" removed from
the Zambezi river. Although called the "Nile Crocodile", the
species is found in rivers and swamps throughout non-arid
regions of Africa. Some of the crocs here are huge--up
to five metres in length. You can get quite close to the
crocodiles on elevated walkways which criss-cross the
facility. The Sun was out when we visited and most of the
crocodiles were basking in the fields. There are large pools of
water, and it is extremely spooky to see how an enormous
crocodile can simply disappear as it glides in and sliently
submerges. Swimming in the Zambezi is an extraordinarily poor
idea; if you manage to evade the crocodiles, you'll probably be
killed by a hippopotamus.
by John Walker
July, 2001
This document is in the public domain.
