I have seen Prada handbags whilst STILL ALIVE!
Yes! Possibly the most unique part of my Cairns trip (now sadly over, have been on Bris-Vegas soil for exactly 3 hours) was a trip to a Crocodile Farm, yes - Farm, in the true sense of the word. This place isn't even open to the public (no cafe, no souvenirs, no TOILETS!) and the only outsiders allowed in are National Geographic and Habitat Tours. The tour was a cruise up the estuary, ostensibly to spot a croc in it's natural habitat, but I doubt that happens much, too many boats! Once we arrived at the croc farm, it was onto a little bus (which should have been surrounded in steel bars and men with machine guns, but was just a normal mini bus - safety is so lax these days) and off into the wilds we went!
First stop: Breeding enclosures. Massive crocs lying around, only responsibility to shag and lay eggs, eat, sleep, shag and lay eggs. They eat whole live chickens and fish, which are thrown over the fence. There are metre long Barramundi swimming around in complete safety next to the crocs, who have lost the knack of hunting!
Worst job in the world: there are 3 VERY well paid men, who go into these enclosures with just shorts on, and STEAL THE EGGS OUT OF THE NESTS!
Next stop: Nursery - literally hundreds of little handbags, I mean crocodiles, laying all over each other in a concrete pen, half filled with water. In winter they get hot spa baths, I kid you not. If they get scratches on their precious skin, they are removed in a plastic tube and taken to Croc Hospital for mending.
Precious Skin: The farm only exists to sell skins to the European fashion houses, such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Hermes etc... they pay $25,000 for a male skin & $16,000 for a female (smaller). The Sultan of Bruneii ordered a crocodile skin coat made, cost of 1.2 million, and had to wait 4 years for enough matching skins.
Safety Precaution: When I thought a croc was looking at me the wrong way, I simply pressed my pink croc skin wallet (faux) to the bus window, at which point they got scared and looked away.
First stop: Breeding enclosures. Massive crocs lying around, only responsibility to shag and lay eggs, eat, sleep, shag and lay eggs. They eat whole live chickens and fish, which are thrown over the fence. There are metre long Barramundi swimming around in complete safety next to the crocs, who have lost the knack of hunting!
Worst job in the world: there are 3 VERY well paid men, who go into these enclosures with just shorts on, and STEAL THE EGGS OUT OF THE NESTS!
Next stop: Nursery - literally hundreds of little handbags, I mean crocodiles, laying all over each other in a concrete pen, half filled with water. In winter they get hot spa baths, I kid you not. If they get scratches on their precious skin, they are removed in a plastic tube and taken to Croc Hospital for mending.
Precious Skin: The farm only exists to sell skins to the European fashion houses, such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Hermes etc... they pay $25,000 for a male skin & $16,000 for a female (smaller). The Sultan of Bruneii ordered a crocodile skin coat made, cost of 1.2 million, and had to wait 4 years for enough matching skins.
Safety Precaution: When I thought a croc was looking at me the wrong way, I simply pressed my pink croc skin wallet (faux) to the bus window, at which point they got scared and looked away.