Thai farm culls 125 crocodiles as floodwaters rise

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 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 the northern province of Lamphun damaged the enclosures at Natthapak Khumkad’s farm, raising the risk that his herd of three-metre (10-foot) Siamese crocodiles could escape and roam the countryside preying on villagers and livestock.

“The rain was eroding the farm walls, so we sadly had to kill all 125 crocodiles,” he told 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.

Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered in the wild, but widely bred in farms across Thailand for their skins.

Patarapol Maneeorn, a vet 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 the large size of the crocodiles.

“This could be a lesson learned in how to handle dangerous animals during natural disasters,” Patarapol told AFP.