croc farming? croc skin purse.

[missllama]

First of all just want to state i dont want this turning nasty i understand everyone has there own opinions, i dont agree with this myself but i want to no more about it so i can understand it a bit better

my parents just got back from a trip alice springs ayres rock darwin etc
they went to the crocodylus park research and edu centre in darwin

today they popped in with my bday pressents and one part was they gave me a purse... and its real croc skin from the park they visited, i feel sort of bad having it in ways, i asked mum and she explained that up there they have to farm them to keep the numbers down, i asked if it was wild ones and she said no its the ones in the actual park they do it for research and because they dont stop breeding etc
also with it came a cert incase i want to go out of the country with it and if i want to sel it yada yada yada
she said that someone explained that its not cruel because its done for research and it has to be done to keep numbers down... and when they kill them they then use them to make these
i felt pretty bad in ways i mean i know that we breed cows to eat and leather is used for shoes etc but at the end of it if they are breeding crocs just to make handbags and wallets that would upset me... but supposedly thats not the case
but like i said i was told its for research and because the numbers get to high... and i guess that with the ones that they get to many of they use the skins to make these?


does anyone know anything more about this?
i personally dont really agree with it i just would have thought they would seperate them to stop them breeding... but i dont know how it works up there it just sort of makes me feel bad thinking they kill animals to make us accessories but once again i dont no if they just use the skin since they have to destroy the animal anyway?
(in the mag there is also stingray and eel items... not just crocs i found that a bit creepy!)




quote from the catalog
" enjoy the luxury of real skin products from the wildlife luxury collection. exquisite crocodile, stingray and eel products are designed and crafted to produce top of the range luxury accessories. the wildlife luxury collection use the finest italian fittings and genuine cow and kangaroo hide lining to compliment the contemporary and classic designs availible for each skin product.
All crocodile skins are derived exclusively from approved management programmes in the northern territory of australia and each product is supplied with an authentic australian wildlife permit enjoy the wildlife luxury collection and enjoy a quality prouct that lasts a lifetime.


so whats the deal? why cant they just stop breeding so many so they dont have to kill them? and do u think that its wrong? i dont feel right using the purse because i dont agree with killing animals because they are getting to many, imo they should be working out how to stop getting so many crocs...

my parents ment no harm, they know i love reptiles etc so i said thanks for it it is a nice looking purse i would have been happy with a fake one tho.

 

[Noongato]

I dont see a problem with it, no different than farming cows for meat n leather, or even Kangaroos if you want a native example....

 

[missllama]

yea i guess if i wasnt into reps and stuff as much as i am it probably wouldnt seem like such a big deal

i just found it wierd a place that is so into researching them and having people know about them so they dont get hurt is killing them and tunrning them into handbags etc i thought places like that would be against it!

but then again they might use there money for more research to keep people aware of them etc?

i dont no its confusing

 

[Noongato]

Id post a link that sells skins and stuff, but last time i posted it it got deleted cos it had pictures of the Kangaroo scrotum products...Which made no sense to me but anyways...

 

[missllama]

heres the online site and catalog for the place that this one came from mid

http://www.thewildlifeco.com.au/

http://www.thewildlifeco.com.au/net catalogue1.html

i am really wanting to read more about how many are killed, and if they are killed researched then made into this sort of stuff etc how it all works

 

[python blue]

I have no real problem with this as its the same as farming cows,sheep and what ever else is farmed for the human race.
Not much of the actual crocodile is wasted the skins, meat, feet and heads are all used and im not so sure what happens with the organs and what not i think there feed back to the other crocodiles plus there all humanly killed anyway not much if any pain what so ever.
When we went to the Johnstone river crocodile farm near innisfail last year they explained the whole procedure of it all and what not but to think that the skin of a 1.4m croc is worth up to 60k ea.

 

[missllama]

oh ok so they dont just kill em skin em and chuck em?
i guess thats what my first thought was

if they are doing research that is helping them in the end i can understand, but still if they are getting too many there i do think they should work out a way to stop them breeding so much... because they only need so many for research

 

[Noongato]

Theyre really quite plain purses and stuff. Rediculously expensive. I cant say i would have bought one. I dont mind the skull and the head mount though.

 

[missllama]

yea i no i wouldnt have expected em to cost that much

 

[Moreliaman]

it had pictures of the Kangaroo scrotum products..

Wow...where can i get one ? my mum needs a new purse!......what a fantastic talking point when you go to pay for the shopping at tesco's!

 

[JasonL]

if they are doing research that is helping them in the end i can understand, but still if they are getting too many there i do think they should work out a way to stop them breeding so much... because they only need so many for research

It's done for profit, they supply meat and leather. They are farmed just like cows, to supply a product. I have no problem with it, croc isn't bad eating.

 

[Noongato]

Wow...where can i get one ? my mum needs a new purse!......what a fantastic talking point when you go to pay for the shopping at tesco's!

Theyre pretty common anywhere thats australian suvenier shops n stuff. Lookup on ebay, or just google search. Although they are mostly made into bottle openers, lighters, and coin purses for the plain skin leather.

 

[Noongato]

There are some on here, i want all the cane toad products...

http://www.univenter.com/crocodile.html

 

[Fran]

I think it is fine and have bought a crocodile skin waistcoat from Darwin which I love.

 

[mark83]

I dont think its a problem. Im sure they are killed humanely not like whale or shark hunters

 

[Naja_nivea]

I think any rogue wild crocs are given to farms to grow and kill. It seems sad to me that most crocadillians are critically endangered around the world, even in oz the population is still recovering from massive over hunting and numbers arent as large as people believe. There was around 3000 in 1971 and estimated only 75,000 in whole of Oz now. There appears to be more due to human encroatchment and habitat destruction and damaged ecosystems so they are more likely to be seen.

Like most reptiles they are maligned by the general public and there is always people arguing to cull or exploit in farms. ie lots of people think it ok to hunt whales or coral hundreds dolphins into a harbour and wack with clubs, but i dont. Crocodiles are basically living dinosaurs and have very slow growth rate and reproductive success rate in the wild. Maybe it would be better to spend time preserving their habitat and breed to release to the wild or send to protected areas overseas as salties are found throughout Oceana all the way to India. But there is always people willing to exploit any "resourse" for a quick buck and for vane fashion.

 

[Australis]

I think any rogue wild crocs are given to farms to grow and kill..

"Rogue" crocs typically aren't small or need to be grown out, for slaughter.
In some cases i know of personally where "Rogue"/problem crocs have been
taken in by a croc farm, its been just for breeding.. the costs involved far out
weigh any potential profit to be made by slaughtering the single animal for
its products.

 

[Naja_nivea]

From a zoological stand point taking a large apix predator out of its environment often has profound effects on the whole ecosystem and fitness of the predator population. But as long as someone is making money out of it thats all that is really important?

 

[Allies_snakes]

Hey Lana,

I worked a stint at the Humpty Doo croc farm just out of Darwin, its shut now and I believe they sold their crocs off to Crocodylus. There is not that much research going on, more breeding for meat and skin products the you see in abundance in the jap tourist shops every where across the far north and cities. I dont believe that they are killing them for 'keeping numbers down' as these are farm bred animals with one intended purpose..death row, food & accessories, they are bred and grown to 1.8m then a bolt shot into the head for quick humane death. They may have said that to bandage your mums horror.

The meat is quite popular these days and is quite tasty. Its unusual how the different cuts are like our common supermarket meats. Leg, neck and side body meat of a croc is very similar texture to chicken, back meat is flakey like fish and tail has a prawn/lobster texture.

I saw the local indigenous lads that worked in the abbatiore at the croc farm skin and bone a croc now and then. They use pretty much every bit of them as you would see the grisley freaky bits and bobs in the tourist shops such as back scratchers (feet), keyrings (feet & tail tip), bleached skulls, belts (mid dorsal line), bags, shoes, coats, necklace teeth ect.

I know some people would be horrified to know this goes on and you will have your opinion...good for you!..But thats life and its a mulit million dollar industry in this cruel greedy world if you wish.

A few pics...coz it does happen...

 

[Allies_snakes]

"Rogue" crocs typically aren't small or need to be grown out, for slaughter.
In some cases i know of personally where "Rogue"/problem crocs have been
taken in by a croc farm, its been just for breeding.. the costs involved far out
weigh any potential profit to be made by slaughtering the single animal for
its products.

Australis, your right on the money, they are either isolated at a park and kept away from the public eye and live out their lives there or some are taken in and put on exhibit, the public are not informed that 'that one there' was the one that took that little kid at blah blah place. They are NOT killed at all, as they are too big. Anything over 1.8m is too big, tough and chewy for the meat.