Crocodile Creek – Home to Thousands of Animals
Located in the outskirts of Tongaat in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa, Crocodile Creek is home to more than 9,000 animals, the majority of which are, as the name suggests, crocodiles. Other inhabitants of Crocodile Creek include leguaans (otherwise known as water monitors), alligators, lizards, snakes, tortoises and monkeys. Visitors can enjoy a tour through Crocodile Creek, including the opportunity to touch some of the smaller residents under the watchful eye of an experienced guide.
Crocodiles tend to have a lazy, almost disinterested attitude which belies their sharp wittedness and the speed at which they can move when the occasion calls for it. They are from an ancient lineage which is believed to have remained largely unchanged since before the time that dinosaurs roamed the earth more than 65 million years ago. Experts believe that crocodiles go back some 200 million years, having survived great extinction events. The word crocodile comes from the ancient Greek term for ‘the lizard of the Nile river’.
Crocodile Creek is a working farm with the skins of these prehistoric looking creatures being turned into leather for the manufacture of belts, shoes, boots, wallets, purses and a host of other items. The curio shop at Crocodile Creek offers a diverse array of crocodile skin items for sale and crocodile meat is featured on the restaurant’s menu. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then sit back and relax over a cup of tea and home-made scones with jam under the thatched lapa in a picturesque garden setting.
