Crocodiles on the loose in the Breede River

Local farmers, police divers and Cape Nature are working with the Jan Hoppie Crocodile Farm situated on the Breede River, a 5 000-capacity facility, to recapture an unknown number of crocodiles that escaped into the river in early March. The farm is on the outskirts of Bonnievale in the Western Cape.

At the time of writing, 74 of the reptiles, which varied between 1,2m and 1,5m in length, had either been caught or culled. This was according to Cape Nature spokesperson Petro van Rhyn. The search was primarily focused on the stretch of the river 5km downstream and 5km upstream from the farm.

“The crocodiles tend to keep to deep pools where the river is slowflowing and there’s lush vegetation for them to hide, making recapturing difficult,” Van Rhyn said.

According to Howard Kelly, a crocodile expert and committee member of the South African Crocodile Industry

Association (SACIA), the escape of the animals might be a symptom of the larger problems in the industry.

He said while he was not familiar with the Bonnievale facility or this particular incident, three factors were affecting the industry.

Firstly, lower skin prices had led to producers holding onto animals in the hope of a price recovery in the future. Stocking densities had therefore increased on many farms.

Secondly, different provincial authorities were using different crocodile-permit and production-unit standards to manage the industry. SACIA did not support the rearing of crocodiles in outdoor facilities in regions that experience excessively low winter temperatures and where crocodiles were not endemic, such as the Western Cape.

Thirdly, unseasonably high rainfall experienced throughout South Africa this past summer had caused localised flooding and, in certain cases, could have led to more juvenile crocodile escapes.

According to Van Rhyn, Cape Nature was conducting an investigation into the breach of security on the farm, which had been in operation for the past 20 years with the necessary permits.

“Obviously, we’re concerned that the exact number of missing animals is unknown, but we’ll continue with the search efforts as long as there are sightings,” she said.

Agri Western Cape spokesperson Jeanne Boshoff said farmers in the Bonnievale area were supporting the authorities in the search operation.

“They’re not overly concerned, as the escapees do not pose a safety threat to their workers or operations,” she added.

Anyone spotting a crocodile in the area was advised not to approach it, but to phone the Bonnievale police on 023 616 8060, Van Rhyn said. – Wouter Kriel