Illegal Crocodile Uses

There are many different illegal usages of crocodiles that are putting a strain on the overall crocodile population. Conservation of the 23 different crocodile species worldwide is very important, especially since seven species still remain endangered. Countries in Africa and Asia have taken positive steps to start eliminating the crocodile poaching industry, but further education about the illegal usage of crocodiles is needed.

  1. Fashion Products

    • The most common reason crocodiles are killed illegally is to create high-class fashion products and accessories such as handbags, purses, wallets, belts and other products. The crocodile skin industry makes over $200 million a year and is still growing. Not all crocodile products are created illegally, but companies or people who buy illegally created products help keep the crocodile poaching industry alive. Tourists will often buy illegally made crocodile products in foreign countries without realizing that the product they bought was not made legally.

    Capturing Crocodiles for Crocodile Farms

    • Luxury purses, handbags, other accessories, skins and food can be sold legally from properly stocked and maintained crocodile farms. What many poachers have been doing is capturing crocodiles in the wild to sell to crocodile farms for breeding or product purposes. It is illegal for crocodile farms to take wild crocodiles, but due to poor regulations and enforcement of laws, this practice goes unnoticed. Wildlife experts in countries like Cambodia say that the main reason the Siamese crocodile is not making a comeback in the wild is because they are often sold illegally to farms.

    Food

    • Illegally killed or captured crocodiles are not only being used for their skins, they are also being used as food. Crocodile is becoming a popular food in many countries around the world, including China, which has helped create a growing market for crocodile as food. The wild crocodiles that are sold to farms often end up becoming food sold to consumers. Citizens of poor countries may also kill wild crocodiles as a source of food, which also hurts the overall crocodile population.

    Trophy Hunting

    • Many species of crocodile became threatened because of trophy hunting. Since crocodiles are large and vicious-looking animals, they are a natural target for trophy hunters. The Nile crocodile was one species of crocodile often hunted because of its large size. Hunters might bring back the entire crocodile as evidence of their hunt, or might just keep a smaller memento, such as the head or feet. The use of crocodiles as decorative pieces or trophies has caused crocodiles considerable harm for many years.