Crocodile are very ferocious, fierce- some, dangerous creatures. Even words just can’t describe the wrath they wage on humans when hungry or provoked. Among the fiercest, are the Nile crocodiles that are known to seize any prey (even as large as the wildebeest), clasp tightly into their great jaws and drag them under the water where they meet their death. The two species found in Kenya as well as most parts of Africa are the African dwarf Crocodile, the Slender Snouted crocodile and the African Nile Crocodile.
They lay about seventy to eighty eggs but out of this huge number, only a few manage to survive until adulthood. A young newly hatched crocodile are also fierce and can also bite off a probing finger.
Most crocodile species prefer living in fresh water basin hence they are found in Tana and Athi rivers and not Lake Bogoria. They swallow stones which may act as a ballast to balance their bodies in water or assist in crushing food.
There are a number of tourists’ sites that are home to these beastly creatures. There is the Mamba village in Mombasa, the Nature Trail in Bamburi still at the Coast and the Nairobi National Park in the Capital city of Kenya. Visitors are seen at the sides of the man made lakes in the parks that are well enclosed to secure holiday goers from danger. The crocodiles catch prey by playing dead with their mouths wide open. Immediately prey settles on the mouth of the crocodile the mouth snaps shut trapping the prey and killing it instantly. This activity is repeated frequently through out the day until it is full or tired with the later being the best reason since a crocodile needs about one hundred and fifty kilograms of meat a day to just survive. As a tourist one should not assume that the creature is dead and get close to it because with just one snap the arm can be chopped off instantly. Of course there is the Tana River site where you can catch a glimpse of these creatures though it is not officially opened to tourists and is quite a risky affair for any one.
Certain restaurants like the Carnivore Simba Salon are licensed to cook delicious, mouth watering meat from these creatures called crocodiles but it is illegal for others to poach wildlife and sell game meat in Kenya.
This bewildering sight is an unforgettable experience.
Maasai Mara Safaris
1 comment:
I wonder if people are aware that the Crocodiles are endangered species. Until three years ago, Kamnarok National Reserve in Kerio Valley was home to more than 15,000 crocodiles. It attracted tourists, with its famed bird watching sites. Elephants quenched their thirst there.
Now the lake is slowly but surely getting consigned to the dustbin of history; it’s drying up — fast.
Situated approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Kabarnet Town, the Kamnarok reserve is home to elephants, buffalos, bush pigs, and dik diks.
But the whereabouts of the crocodiles remains unknown. The once a vibrant water body is now a murky ground with big cracks. Conflict between man and animal????
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