125 Siamese crocodiles culled over flood fears
BANGKOK — A crocodile farm in Thailand has culled 125 of the reptiles because of fears they could escape during ongoing floods and endanger human lives, the owner said on Wednesday.
Heavy monsoon rains swept across northern Thailand this month, triggering floods and landslides that have killed more than 20 people.
Days of heavy rain in northern Lamphun province damaged the enclosures at Natthapak Khumkad's farm, raising the risk that his herd of 3-meter (10-foot) Siamese crocodiles could escape and roam the countryside, preying on villagers and livestock.
SAFE THAN SORRY A digger carries three dead crocodiles from Natthapak Khumkad’s crocodile farm in Lamphun province, northern Thailand, on Sept. 22, 2024. PHOTO FROM NATTHAPAK KHUMKAD VIA AFP«The rain was eroding the farm walls, so we sadly had to kill all 125 crocodiles,» he told Agence France-Presse (AFP). «We've had them for 17 years.»
Natthapak said he and his workers electrocuted the animals.
Photos on his personal Facebook account showed a digger being used to remove three large crocodiles.
AdvertisementSiamese crocodiles are critically endangered in the wild but widely bred in farms across Thailand for their skins.
Patarapol Maneeorn, a veterinarian for Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said that while he understood the owner's decision, the crocodiles could have been transferred to another area not affected by floods.
But Natthapak said he had previously contacted the government to find a temporary shelter for the reptiles but was rejected because of their large size.
«This could be a lesson learned in how to handle dangerous animals during natural disasters,» Patarapol told AFP.
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