A LARGE crocodile farm in flood-hit Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) province is quickly digging a drainage canal to prevent the flooding of its four pens which would enable the over thousand reptiles to escape and threaten the residents, Sanook.com said today (Oct. 20).
With the floodwater from Lam Ta Khong river getting close to the farm in Nong Krathum subdistrict, Mueang district, where there are some large crocodiles reaching 2.5 metres in length the owner is closely monitoring the situation 24 hours a day for fear of these reptiles escaping to natural waterways.
Upon being questioned by reporters the farm owner said the floodwater continued to rise this morning as Lam Ta Khong dam is releasing water so he brought in a backhoe to dig a canal and drain it to an irrigation canal some 300 metres away with this expected to be completed this afternoon and stablise the situation.
That it has not rained for a day also helps reduce the floodwater thus preventing these crocodiles from escaping. It is expected that the water level will return to normal in two to three days’ time.
Yesterday he installed fence panels and put up signs to warn people of the danger they face near the farm. Arrangement had also been made to evacuate the crocodiles if need be.
The 42-year-old owner mentioned that he has been raising this bask of crocodiles for two years leading some of them to have grown 2.5 metres long. Usually they are sold when they are this big but the coronavirus pandemic prevented him from doing so.
The estimated value of these crocodiles is 10 million baht.
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Some of the almost a thousand crocodiles at the Korat farm threatened by flooding. Photos: Sanook.com
