A farmer in northern Thailand was compelled to cull over 100 crocodiles from his farm due to severe flooding, which raised concerns about their potential escape and the threat they could pose to humans. Natthapak Khumkad, the owner of the crocodile farm in Lamphun, reported that relentless rainfall had badly damaged the enclosures housing his Siamese crocodiles.
Facing the risk of escape, he made the difficult decision to kill 125 crocodiles, some reaching lengths of up to three meters. Khumkad expressed particular worry that the reptiles could wander into the flooded countryside and endanger local residents and livestock.
The incident, highlighted by CNN, occurred in Lamphun province after devastating monsoon rains swept through the area. In September, northern Thailand experienced intense monsoon rains that led to landslides and floods, resulting in over 20 fatalities.
“I had to make the most difficult decision of my life to kill them all. My family and I discussed if the wall collapsed the damage to people’s lives would be far bigger than we can control. It would involve people’s lives and public safety,” Khumkad told CNN.
In a Facebook update, Natthapak showcased the eroded walls of the crocodile pond and explained, “This was the primary reason that forced me to make an urgent decision. On that day, it rained heavily non-stop. The underwater wall collapsed, which was very close to reaching the outer wall.”
He noted that although his staff tried to block off the area to repair the pond as quickly as possible, the continuous rain made the situation perilous.
“It was a crisis that required an extremely urgent decision. I had to use the last resort, which was to remove the crocodiles from the farm by slaughtering them. If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, we wouldn’t have used this method. It was the best, fastest, and safest method in that situation, with the rain still pouring incessantly. Thank you for all the encouragement and understanding,” Natthapak added.
