THE NATION (Nairobi, Kenya) 01 December 05 Dancing With the Crocodiles of Tana River (Wycliffe Muga And Gitonga Marete)
Nairobi: The image people hold of a crocodile is far from being a humble, meek and docile animal but a vicious and ferocious enemy.
But apparently, that is not an accurate picture of what crocodiles are. "They are actually very shy creatures, easily stressed, and very sensitive," says James Dena of the Nile Crocodiles farm in Kikambala, about 20 kilometres to the north of Mombasa.
Founded five years ago, the Nile Crocodiles is now a major source of income for the local community. The farm has trained the villagers on how to identify crocodile nests and collect eggs along the banks of Tana river. On delivery the eggs are incubated for between 72 and 74 days. The number of eggs hatching from each nest depends on the level of handling during collection.
The collectors are paid up to Sh35 per egg plus bonuses for those who handle them well. With a nest holding up to 34 eggs, this means that a collector can make up to Sh1190 from a single nest. "Hard working collectors can make up to Sh50,000 in a month," says Dena. "We give them a bonus in order to maintain high standards of collection which involves avoiding wastage."
The high hatching rates of up to 90 per cent of all eggs collected indicates that the Tana villagers are highly qualified harvesters.
In its first year, the crocodile eats up to nine kilogrammes of food per week, but as it moves to year two and three the reptile can consume up to between 40 and 50 kilogrammes.
Undoing the mystery that the crocodile is a vicious animal are attendants who walk among the reptiles and even play with them bare footed. Dena explains: "The crocodiles know the scent of all those who clean and feed them, and so are at ease with them. But it would be dangerous for unfamiliar persons to enter into the pond unprotected."
"The crocodile can tell when someone is stressed or in a bad mood. The attendant needs to be very attentive while handling the animals," adds Dena who has worked with the reptiles for over 20 years, having been initially attached to Haller Park.
Those handling the crocodiles at the farm have also been trained on how to ensure the animals are not stressed. "Initially there used to be incidents of people being bitten by the reptiles. Nothing too serious, but such incidents definitely used to occur. Now these cases have reduced as a result of training and experience," Dena says.
Some thing else, says Dena, crocodiles are used to routines and are fed and the ponds cleaned at a particular time, and cleaners have to wear the same colour of uniform. They hate changes, and will not gain weight at a fast enough rate if the schedule they are used to is not maintained.
Incidentally, they suffer from diseases very similar to those found in poultry. So a high standard of hygiene has to be maintained if the crocodiles are to flourish.
The farm is currently home to nearly 20,000 reptiles but the management is working on ways of increasing the population by recruiting more collectors.
Its CEO, Daniel Haller, says getting the local communities along the Tana River to understand that they can profit more from the legal trade in crocodile eggs, than from the illegal trade (which involves selling the eggs to locals, as a delicacy) is at the heart of Nile Crocodile's conservation strategy.
Next is to start farming crocodiles on a large scale by working with the villagers living along the river banks which will also ensure that the reptiles grow in a more natural environment.
In collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service, the farm plans to establish ponds to be managed by the local people. Mr Haller says: "This way we will be involving the community more in environmental conservation."
There are an estimated 100,000 eggs along the Tana river at any one time. "A resource that needs to be tapped for the benefit of the locals," says Mr Haller.
Crocodile meat, its taste bordering between that of chicken and fish, is a preferred delicacy in restaurants specializing in game meat. Dena explains that slaughtering of the crocodiles has to conform with the internationally accepted method, which ensures that the reptile endures as little pain as possible.
Then there is its skin which is used to make an assortment of items ranging from handbags to belts and shoes. But while local tanneries do not deal in this skin which is thus exported, Mr Haller says there is need for the tanneries to make use of the part of the crocodile skin that is not exported.
Dancing With the Crocodiles of Tana River