At least 12 crocodiles have starved to death on a farm in Serui, Zimbabwe, while another 258 are close to dying, that country’s Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday.
It said the reptiles had been without food since November last year.
Some of the four-year-old crocodiles, which were kept in four dry ponds, showed signs of serious skin damage because of extended exposure to the sun.
Malham Farm was allocated to Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke on November 3 last year. He confirmed this on Tuesday, but said he could not move in without an official offer letter.
”I was shown the farm early in December but I have not received an offer letter yet. I had placed some guards there but later withdrew their services.”
Officials from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ZNSPCA) rescued the surviving crocodiles on Tuesday.
They were taken them for feeding and treatment at Pangula Farm near Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
Workers at the farm said the crocodiles’ last meal was baby chicken.
ZNSPCA regional inspector Jimmy Zuze said his organisation became aware of the matter after a worker called to say the reptiles were dying of hunger.
After his attempts to meet Kaseke proved futile, he wrote him a letter.
”Nothing came out of the warning letter until we informed Parks and Wildlife Management Authority about the issue,” said Zuze.
Parks spokesperson Edward Mbewe said the authority was checking land records to establish who actually owned the farm so that the Parks and Wildlife Management Act could be invoked. – Sapa