Crocs!

Today was a fun day! Our program director took us to a local retreat called Croc Camp. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the camp lived up to its name. They farm over 4,000 crocodiles! Most of them are sold for their skin when they are 4-5 years old. The tour guide jumped into one of the pins and captured a young croc, which we each took turns holding.

Then he took us to see the large crocodiles. The largest croc they own is 68 years old and over 10 meters long. His name is Osama. The humor was lost on the locals, as there is a large Muslim population in Uganda and Osama is a common name. However, I found it amusing that they have a mean old crocodile named Osama.

The guide then proceeded to “disturb” one of the other crocodiles by smacking it on the head with a long stick. I was not anticipating the crocodile’s reaction; it was quite terrifying! It leapt out of the water and snapped its powerful jaws. I asked the guide if anyone has ever been injured here, and he told me one of his friends lost half an arm recently while feeding them. I don’t think this kind of place would go over well in the States; animal rights groups would be all over them.

After that excitement, we visited the fishing area. The men were casting large nets into Lake Victoria, but would only catch 1-2 fish every several casts. I decided to try my hand at fishing, and it was much more difficult than it looked. The net was very heavy, and my cast plopped into the water only about 5 feet away from the pier. As I suspected, I caught zero fish. I guess I need more practice.