Fine Line Sailing: A Visit To The Crocodile Farm

This is a simple story about a Crocodile farm. It is not intended to portrait a favorable nor an unfavorable view of animals in captivity and the use of their skins. If you are sensitive to this subject, you may want to avoid reading this blog.

We are going on a day trip to a neighbooring city called Barranquilla. We have arranged to have a car pick us up at 8am at the Santa Marta Marina. There are four of us going. The car shows up at 7am? What, we are barely awake. We do our best in broken Spanish but the driver insists we leave now. He will not wait for us. He has other people to pick up. Here we thought we were the only passengers? Lucky for us the marina finds us a private car. Of course the price is now doubled. Oh brother, the things we are willing to do for an adventure.
Soon we are on our way. Once out of the city, the scenery is beautiful. The countryside is very flat and green.

There are small communties along the road. The small homes are knee-deep in water from unusually heavy rains this past fall.

The local population make their living from fishing. They have a very simple life.

But they are very industrious.

They also practice some unsavory begging techniques. On this stretch of road the locals lay down ropes, string, clothing tied together, etc., to make a barricade. When a car approaches they pull the rope up and block the road. As the car slows, the people (many holding small children in their arms) rush the cars with their palms out, hoping for some money. Ofcourse most cars slow down but do not stop. It is frightening and sad.

The trip to Baranquilla takes 1.5 hours. We are meeting our friend Pino here. We first met Pino up in the mountains. We "clicked" like you sometimes do with special people. Pino is Italian. He has a very successful Crocodile farm. His Crocodile skins can be found in some very high end shops around the world. He very generously offered us an up close and personal look at his enterprise.
We climb into the air conditioned car for the next leg of our trip.

First we stop to visit with the little cute baby rats. There are rows and rows of them.

Most of them are white.

The newborns are pink. I know, you are wondering what this has to do with Crocodiles? Nothing. First we have to talk about the Boa Constrictors. Just a little side business.

Baby Rats

Baby Boas

Cute?
A lot of people think they are cute. Then they get big. Then they are not so cute.

A few years later they grow up to be big and very strong. The tail alone has tremendous power. Pino is holding the snake.

The Boa Constrictor is not a venemous snake. It can bite you and it will hurt but it will not kill you. It kills it's prey but squeezing. This Boa gets a baby chick once per week. It takes approximately 4 days of laying around to digest it completely...beak, feathers, legs...burp!

The boa cannot see well but senses it's prey is dead by a drop in body temperature. It then locates the small end of the prey (head) and begins the process of swallowing.

The jaw unhinges......open wide

Time to leave the Boas. Fascinating but also a bit creepy as we all contemplate the possibilities that a very big Boa could probably eat us?

We get back in our comfy car and head out into the bush. I am beginning to think about Jurassic Park...feeling a bit unhinged :)

There are many workers on the farm. It is a big production to care for approximately 100,000 Crocodiles. Lunch is on for the workers. We are afraid to look inside the pot but Pino assures us it is only yucca soup. We are not hungry nor are we offered a serving. Whew!

It is also lunch time for the Crocs. We can smell the lunch wagon before we see it. For sure we are not hungry now. Where is the menthol under-the-nose rub?

Crocks are not vegetarians. They like meat. Can you imagine feeding 100,000 Crocks daily? Good thing Pino also owns a slaughterhouse where all the locals bring their beef and pork. Pino gets to keep all the leftovers. Bon Appetite!

The bigger Crocks get the bigger pieces.

We are just about over the top when we come to the next exhibit. This is the newly killed Crocks that are ready to be skinned. They are sacrificed with a quick jab into their brains. It is quick and it is painless.

Skinning the crocks is not for amateurs. The skins are very expensive, selling for approximately $3.5 US dollars per centimeter.

A good skinner can skin 100 Crocks per day.

The skins are salted and stacked.

6 month old Crock enjoying his lunch.

Each pen has many Crocks of the same age. Some are bigger than others. they are very skittish and don't like us too close to the pen. The feeling is mutual.

Older cousins

Sharp teeth, watchful eye

Probably not a good pet

Keeping the crocks healthy and well fed is a top priority. There is a part time biologist here to monitor conditions. Additionally, the Colombian government imposes strict regulations on the farm insuring all international treaties for the protection of the animals are met. 5% of the crocks must be released into the wild every year. There are many wild crocks out and about. Note to self: Be Careful

BE REAL CAREFUL

Steve dreaming of a new wallet

The crocks live for approximately 2 years before they are sacrificed. It is perhaps sad that they are sacrificed for human vanity but such is the world. At least here, on this farm, they are treated in a compassionate manner for those two years.

Nearby are the breeding Crocks. They are much bigger and are not used for skins. Their purpose is to produce the stock. The females lay approximately 20-30 eggs once a year. It is currently mating season and in March the females will lay their eggs in nests along the shoreline of the enclosed pond. Workers retrieve the eggs and they are placed into a large incubation room. The temperature and humidity are closely watched. A bit warm will get you males. A bit cooler gets you females.

Crocodiles everwhere. No swimming allowed!

Baby Crocodile pens

The tannery is in another part of the city. It is a large building with big drums. All is quiet right now as it is still Christmas holiday time.

The wooden drums are old technology. They have been used for many years to cure the skins.

The new automated stainless steel drums are a welcome addition to the lengthy curing process. Each skin will spend approximately 10 days in the various drums to be completely cured and ready for sale

Once the skins arrive from the farm they are placed into a refrigerated room.

Many of the skins are dyed. New colors are tried.

Some are au natural

A skin cured correctly will be soft and plyable.

Skins are sold all over the world. They will become belts, handbags, boots, wallets, etc. They are a high priced luxury. Next time you are in Sachs 5th Ave., look for a Crocodile handbag. Chances are it will be from Pino's farm.