The crocodile farm in Pattaya has just gotten a lot of press after pictures emerged of Chinese tourists crammed on a tiny raft surrounded by dozens of hungry crocs. The photos went viral and had the internet abuzz with concerns about safety and jokes about inviting your enemies here to feed raw meat to the gators from long sticks.
Apparently the government has take a look at these pictures and thought “Hmm…something’s just not right here.” They’ve stepped in and suspended the Pattaya croc farm’s license for 90 days so that they can check the safety of the place, reported Bangkok Post.
The crocodile feeding was being done at Elephant Territory Pattaya, also known as the Elephant Kingdom. Adisorn Promthep, director-general of the Fisheries Department, saw the pictures and thought that the activity could be risky to people’s lives.
The croc feeding attraction, in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district, is owned by Utairatch Crocodile Farm & Zoo Co.
Police and officials visited the farm on Friday after seeing the viral photos.
The rafts for rent are 5×10 meters long and outfitted with motors and cables that let be towed quickly to safety should anything bad happen. The rafts also have chest-high barriers, but many commenters on the video still thought it looked dangerous.
Adisorn said the farm is violating a regulation issued in the 1992 Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, which requires animal attractions to provide safety measures for visitors and others nearby.
As director of the department responsible for the croc farm’s license, he has suspended it for 90 days and told the farm to improve safety measures.
He asked the Chonburi provincial fisheries office to inspect the farm to ensure that new measures are put in place and to provide inspections at nearby similar attractions.
Uthen Youngprapakorn, the owner of the croc farm, said there has never been a problem at the feeding platforms. Each platform can hold 8 tons (7,527 kilograms), but occupancy is capped at 10-15 people per trip to keep it safe.
Elephant Kingdom has 48 rai of land and includes two ponds, 4,000 crocodiles and 300 gharials. There are also hornbills, panthers and leopards living at the tourist destination.
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