500 Crocodiles Die of Hunger, Dehydration

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
June 18, 2004

Moses Njagi And Munene Kamau
Nairobi

A crocodile farmer has lost more than 500 reptiles to hunger and dehydration following a feud with the Kenya Wildlife Service.

The farmer, identified as Bob Maina, trapped the reptiles from the River Tana and reared them for their meat and skins, for which he had a ready market in Nairobi.

It was not immediately clear why the farmer from Mbeere District fell out with the KWS, but he was said to have been so incensed by the Service he abandoned the rare keep.

Neighbours told the East African Standard that Maina and KWS had failed to agree on the marketing of the farm and that he had complained of unnecessary and bureaucratic red-tape.

Some sources allege that Maina was barred from selling crocodile skins by the KWS, which forced him to abandon the farm in frustration.

But the KWS has denied any role in the death of the reptiles and is threatening to have Maina arrested and charged for cruelty to the animals.

The water in the two concrete paddocks in which Maina kept the crocodiles dried up and the reptiles died of hunger and dehydration. Without water, they were exposed to intense heat on the bare concrete floor.

Ironically, the paddocks are barely 10 metres away from the River Tana, from where the animals had initially been trapped and domesticated.

The crocodile farm lies between Kindaruma and Kiambere hydro-electric dams. The management of Tana and Athi Rivers (Tarda) also rears crocodiles for commercial purposes.

Maina is believed to have lost millions of shillings and it may take a Herculean effort to start rearing the crocodiles afresh on a commercial scale.

Captive market

Sources at the remote crocodile farm in Karura village of Mbeere District, said the farmer had a booming business through the sale of the reptiles' products in Nairobi's leading five star hotels.

The death of the reptiles has also dealt a devastating blow to local butcheries that used to supply meat to feed them.

"His workers would come and buy meat from all the local butcheries," said one villager.

Some other farmers preferred selling their sheep and goats to the crocodile farmer to feed his crocodiles instead of taking them to the market.

When the East African Standard crew visited the farm, it was greeted by a foul stench of the rotting and decaying carcasses.

Before abandoning the farm, Maina - who we could not trace - had harvested some of the animals for sale. He also moved some of the young crocodiles to a farm in Kutus in Kirinyaga District, which he is said to manage.

But the Embu District KWS warden, Mr Henry Muhindi, denied knowledge of any conflict between his office and the farmer.

He said Maina had been issued with a licence in 1999, upon meeting KWS requirements for the rare keep.

He, however, said that Maina had not complained to his officer or the government about the frustrations he was said to have encountered.

"In fact, I was also shocked to learn that Maina abandoned the animals and treated them with utmost cruelty, which led to their deaths," said Muhindi.

He said the KWS is looking for the farmer for possible legal action.

And in Nyeri, KWS officials have confiscated two monkeys and five tortoises from former councillor Charles Kamithi who was rearing them in a pub as pets.

Kamithi complained the KWS was overstepping its mandate since he had observed the laws governing such animals.