Crocodile wrestling

[Cobba]

What a joke these are, and the people that run these all in the name of show business.

I must admit, when in a tour office in BKK, i saw a brochure, read and thought "oh yeh", it may/may not be interesting given it was not as the main event of the tour.

The crocs was a combined itenarary with "the bridge over river Kwai" if gives an indication on what Croc farm i visited (i cant remember the name)

What i expected to see was healthy agile crocodiles, and as advertised, supposedly men wrestling with them could not be further from the truth.

Winsessed was crocodiles stoned out of their brains on sedatives or whatever else the trainers were pumping into them. I mean, you would see the trainers put their heads in the Crocs open mouth. I doubt whether the Crocs are even aware of the trainers presence, being so off their face on drugs.



Anyone here been to any of these circus performances ?

[PeteGill]

A bit of research would have told you that in the first place. Steer clear of any 'animal' shows in LOS if possible.

Honestly best to stick with 'ping pong' shows, with any luck the past sell by date ladies will not be too stoned 5555

[MarcTwoSix]

But why would you go in the 1st place?

None of these places are abuse free


We stopped once on a low bridge overlooking tons of crocodiles in Costa Rica
They were massive and even being a bit far away was scary

[Ian Forbes]

I did all those croc and snake shows the first few years I visited Thailand, and they certainly vary depending on the venue. Some are just as you say, but I have seen some very nimble crocs. I even got to pull one around by the tail, but the handler told me the ones to leave alone.

I like snakes and often go at off hours when I can interact with the snakes myself. I know that if I get bitten then it's my own fault and I can't sue anyone.

The tiger farm run by monks in Kanchanaburi is a disgrace. The poor animals are kept in tiny, dank cages, and are bred for sale. People have tried for years to shut it down, but with no success. I'm sure that money exchanges hands. There was a pretty good wild animal theme park somewhere between Pattaya and Bangkok. I went with a tourist promoter I knew a long time ago and was impressed by the care they took of the animals. They also had a big pond full of crocodiles. There was a bridge over the pond and you could go fishing for the crocs with a dead chicken on the end of a rope. A giant crocodile would chase the smaller ones away and launch itself about 2 meters out of the water to take the chicken. It was a bit scary to see how quick they were when they wanted to be. Crocodiles naturally lay with their mouth open. It is the way they have of cooling off.

[TLandHim]

Was watching a Thai guy round up some of these "drugged" crocodiles from a plank about 3' above a pond. He was prodding several to move them and while he was focused on those, one crocodile from behind him launched itself and wrapped its teeth around the guy's gumboot.

Horrible to watch and the guy went forward on the pole and I thought he was going into the pool but amazingly he managed to balance himself and kick free from this 6' long crocodile. The Thai guy was whiter than me when he got to shore and safety.

They were rounding them up and loading them into a ute, presumably they had reached handbag size.

[MarcTwoSix]

Was watching a Thai guy round up some of these "drugged" crocodiles from a plank about 3' above a pond. He was prodding several to move them and while he was focused on those, one crocodile from behind him launched itself and wrapped its teeth around the guy's gumboot.

Horrible to watch and the guy went forward on the pole and I thought he was going into the pool but amazingly he managed to balance himself and kick free from this 6' long crocodile. The Thai guy was whiter than me when he got to shore and safety.

They were rounding them up and loading them into a ute, presumably they had reached handbag size.

I'm always happy when the animals get their revenge

[MarcTwoSix]

Best thing I've ever done in regards to animals in Thailand and anywhere actually

It was right after the tsunami and Phuket was an absolute ghost town. The whole island

I don't like any zoos at all but my gf was pestering and I went against my beliefs and took her to the Phuket Zoo

I really just walked around not paying attention

Well I am standing there and looked over and there were 3 tiger Cubs just sitting in an open pen without anyone around

I just went in the pen and played with them for about an hour

An absolute life highlight for me!

[Ian Forbes]

Best thing I've ever done in regards to animals in Thailand and anywhere actually

It was right after the tsunami and Phuket was an absolute ghost town. The whole island

I don't like any zoos at all but my gf was pestering and I went against my beliefs and took her to the Phuket Zoo

I really just walked around not paying attention

Well I am standing there and looked over and there were 3 tiger Cubs just sitting in an open pen without anyone around

I just went in the pen and played with them for about an hour

An absolute life highlight for me!

Mother tiger was otherwise occupied while hiding under the tree eating the other guy that tried that. 555

[MarcTwoSix]

Mother tiger was otherwise occupied while hiding under the tree eating the other guy that tried that. 555

Well unfortunately it would imagine they were ripped from their mother

[Ian Forbes]

Well unfortunately it would imagine they were ripped from their mother

Most likely. There is a market for tiger cubs.

[Bacon]

And if you look closely you'll find they're all corked anyway.

[TLandHim]

Best thing I've ever done in regards to animals in Thailand and anywhere actually

It was right after the tsunami and Phuket was an absolute ghost town. The whole island

I don't like any zoos at all but my gf was pestering and I went against my beliefs and took her to the Phuket Zoo

I really just walked around not paying attention

Well I am standing there and looked over and there were 3 tiger Cubs just sitting in an open pen without anyone around

I just went in the pen and played with them for about an hour

An absolute life highlight for me!

JoJo was the big tiger at he Phuket zoo at that time and one of the cubs you played with was probably Esso. All born in the zoo and reared by the one armed keeper from birth.

The second time we met JoJo was at 8.30am when we were let into the zoo before it was open. Went straight to the tiger cage and saw the keeper and a very large JoJo in the cage together where the keeper was cleaning the water troughs. Watching this beautiful tiger and he eventually turned towards the open gate and just wandered out of the cage and walked down the path about 15' from where we were standing frozen. He had a collar and about 10' of chain trailing but not attached to anything. This tiger just ambled down to the concrete plinth where he spent the day with the keeper posing for photos. He knew where to go and we waited for the keeper to finish and come out and we all walked down to where JoJo was.

The interaction between the tiger and the keeper was a treat to see and was that of a dearly loved pet and its owner.The tiger would often turn and nuzzle the keeper exactly the same as a cat or dog does when it is happy and relaxed.

Drugged? I am certain JoJo wasn't, but then again what would I know? I have only spent a lifetime amongst animals and all my experience is practical.

[RakThai]

So what is the big deal?

Crocodiles have no function or purpose in the human world.. Farmers will kill them or poison them to leaves their land safe and clean..
There are only a few Crock farms that provide shelter and they have to find a source of income..
And no need to drug a crock, they are cold blooded animals, so after some "play", they are out of energy and literary can't move a limb..

As for tigers, with I think are the most majestic of animals, a wild tiger needs a habitat of about 300 square km, which is about the end of the wild Tiger in Thailand..
Win the lottery and I will seriously consider connecting the Thai, Laos and Chines national parks to allow interbreeding and migration..
Until then, I am happy the tiger does survive, even if it is in very poor and commercialized circumstances!

[Ian Forbes]

So what is the big deal?

Crocodiles have no function or purpose in the human world.. Farmers will kill them or poison them to leaves their land safe and clean..
There are only a few Crock farms that provide shelter and they have to find a source of income..
And no need to drug a crock, they are cold blooded animals, so after some "play", they are out of energy and literary can't move a limb..

As for tigers, with I think are the most majestic of animals, a wild tiger needs a habitat of about 300 square km, which is about the end of the wild Tiger in Thailand..
Win the lottery and I will seriously consider connecting the Thai, Laos and Chines national parks to allow interbreeding and migration..
Until then, I am happy the tiger does survive, even if it is in very poor and commercialized circumstances!

It always comes down to habitat and the environment, Rak. There just isn't enough wilderness to allow large wild animals to roam free anymore. And, that takes money... and large amounts of it.

[MarcTwoSix]

JoJo was the big tiger at he Phuket zoo at that time and one of the cubs you played with was probably Esso. All born in the zoo and reared by the one armed keeper from birth.

The second time we met JoJo was at 8.30am when we were let into the zoo before it was open. Went straight to the tiger cage and saw the keeper and a very large JoJo in the cage together where the keeper was cleaning the water troughs. Watching this beautiful tiger and he eventually turned towards the open gate and just wandered out of the cage and walked down the path about 15' from where we were standing frozen. He had a collar and about 10' of chain trailing but not attached to anything. This tiger just ambled down to the concrete plinth where he spent the day with the keeper posing for photos. He knew where to go and we waited for the keeper to finish and come out and we all walked down to where JoJo was.

The interaction between the tiger and the keeper was a treat to see and was that of a dearly loved pet and its owner.The tiger would often turn and nuzzle the keeper exactly the same as a cat or dog does when it is happy and relaxed.

Drugged? I am certain JoJo wasn't, but then again what would I know? I have only spent a lifetime amongst animals and all my experience is practical.

I don't think there is any doubt that JoJo was drugged

I wanted no part of that and I guess the pups will be too at some point

But as an obsessed animal lover, that really was a special day for me

[Bacon]

I don't think there is any doubt that JoJo was drugged

I wanted no part of that and I guess the pups will be too at some point

But as an obsessed animal lover, that really was a special day for me

Hey some of us have to pay good money to get drugged. These bastards are getting' it for free.

[Moo Uaon]

Always use to hang with the big cats at Toronga Park Zoo when i had spare time when i was working there.

me and a co worker were having a puff there and walking around and walked down to the lions den one time..got right up close and couldn't see it so we leant right over the fence and had our faces right up to it's window looking for it when it suddenly jumped up and roared at us...only inches away...fk we screamed and ran like little girls 555

it was watching us with it's eyes peeping just over the bottom sill of the barred window...lovely animals.