World Croc Day is celebrated every year on 17 June and is dedicated to raising awareness about crocodiles and the need to protect the species and its habitats. This year’s theme is ‘Connecting Crocodiles and Communities’.
While crocodilian ancestors have existed for 200 million years, the present-day Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) that occurs in Africa evolved roughly 80 million years ago.
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It is estimated that there are between 250 000 and 500 000 Nile crocodiles in the wild in Africa. In South Africa, the figure is around 10 500.
Crocodile farming in South Africa
Crocodile farming in South Africa began more than 55 years ago in the late 1960s. Despite the lack of official records, it is estimated that there are currently more than 80 farms breeding the animals. Most are located in Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal.
The crocodiles are mainly bred for their hides, which are used in the production of luxury leather goods abroad. Meat is also exported.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulates the sale of crocodile products. However, since it is classified under reptiles, which includes lizards and snakes, it is difficult to establish exact production figures.
According to a report on wildlife trade by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife trade monitoring network, more than 519 900 crocodile hides were exported from South Africa between 2005 and 2014 with the main markets being Italy, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
During the same period, around 863t of crocodile meat were exported mainly to Hong Kong, Belgium and China.
In 2023, animal rights organisation Ban Animal Trading South Africa stated that Mexico received most of the more than 5 300 exported crocodile hides in 2022, followed by Singapore, Japan and South Korea. This was up by more than 200 hides year-on-year.
Jacques Peacock, communications manager of the NSPCA, said some of the crocodile farms in South Africa hold over 20 000 of the animals in captivity where they are intensively reared and ostensibly killed for their hides.
“There is a move in South Africa for crocodiles to be reared in single or unitised pens. Some of these pens are small and shorter than a crocodile’s full length. They do not facilitate movement or stretching. The pens provide no shelter, have a minimum water depth, and are covered with a wired roof dome. Single pen confinement that prevents the animal from being able to turn around and to be able to thermoregulate is totally unacceptable.”
Peacock added that there was therefore an urgent need to overhaul the current standards that regulated the industry.
“The NSPCA is currently engaging with the crocodile industry and the Department of Agriculture in the finalising of the Crocodile Slaughter Regulations. The crocodile South African Bureau of Standards document, SANS 631:2009, was developed to ensure farmers comply with minimum standards. The standard is outdated and is currently being revised.”
SANS 631:2009 was published in 2009. Its aim was to serve as a guideline to assist crocodile keepers in aligning their farming, breeding, harvesting and husbandry methods with welfare standards. It also set out to help protect captive crocodiles, improve the health and safety aspects relating to the keeping of crocodiles, and to assist in building relationships between crocodile keepers, wildlife authorities and the relevant animal welfare organisations.
Upon publication, it stated that it was part of a “continuous development process” for the crocodile industry that would “be reviewed from time to time”.
