In Kenya, a growing number of farmers are swapping cattle for crocodiles as drought makes traditional livestock farming nearly impossible. The reptiles need far less water than cows and goats, and their skins and meat sell for premium prices on international markets.
A desert animal that thrives where cows cannot
In the dry counties of Turkana and Marsabit, where rainfall has become erratic and rivers have shrunk, farmers have started building crocodile pens alongside their empty cattle corrals. The Kenya Crocodile Farmers Association reports that membership has doubled in the past two years, with most new members coming from regions hardest hit by drought.
Crocodiles can survive on a fraction of the water that cattle require. They eat fish, offal, and low-grade meat that would otherwise go to waste. A single adult crocodile can yield a hide worth up to 40,000 Kenyan shillings, about 300 US dollars, far more than a goat or sheep.
How crocodile farming works in practice
Farmers capture young crocodiles from the wild or buy hatchlings from licensed breeders. They raise them in concrete tanks or fenced ponds, feeding them once every two or three days. After three to four years, the animals reach slaughter size, typically around two meters in length.
The Kenyan government regulates the industry through the Kenya Wildlife Service, which issues permits and inspects farms. Exporters ship most of the hides to Italy and France, where luxury fashion houses turn them into handbags, belts, and shoes. The meat goes to local restaurants and hotels, where it is sold as a delicacy.
Local communities have welcomed the shift. In Turkana, women's groups have started small crocodile farms as a source of income independent of rainfall. The animals are hardy and rarely die from disease, unlike chickens or goats during drought.
Crocodile farming will not end Kenya's drought problems. But for farmers who have watched their cattle perish in the sun, it offers a way to stay on the land and earn a living from an animal that does not need rain.
