Today
we visited the crocodile farm on the outskirts of Tana.
After much debate and convincing, we finally got two cabbies
to agree to drive us all the way out there and wait for
us while we were inside and then drive us home. The croc
farm has more than just crocodiles; they also had ostriches,
snakes, chameleons, geckos, and one of the healthiest fossa
I’ve ever seen. Many of the reptiles were very active and
all of them looked extremely well taken care of. It was
great to see some more of Madagascar’s wildlife that do
not live in Ankarafantsika.
When we first saw the fossa, it was being very calm and
just resting on a branch. But it sure became attentive when
a group of lemurs passed through the trees overhead. I’m
glad we got to see a fossa at the croc farm since we haven’t
had a chance to trap one in the forest yet.
The ostriches were the most entertaining part of the farm.
I’ve seen ostriches before, but never from this close up.
I don’t think I realized how big they actually were until
I got to stand close enough for one to try to bite my head.
I’ve got a great picture of an ostrich with its mouth open
on its way down to nibble on my head. The extinct elephant
birds that used to live in Madagascar were even bigger than
an ostrich. I was laughing at how goofy the ostriches looked,
I can’t imagine what a bird like the elephant bird would’ve
looked like – twice their size.
Because it is so cold here in Tana, the crocs were not
very active. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see them feed.
But I’m very glad we went to the farm. I always heard how
horrible zoos can be in developing countries. I was very
impressed with the way the animals at the croc farm were
taken care of and how well kept the facilities were.
