Following on from our blog about the Pamplona bull run, we thought we’d carry on our ‘Weird Things To Do On Holiday’ series with another dangerous animal activity… Getting up close and personal with the huge aquatic dinosaur that is the crocodile!
Say what…?!
That’s right, petting a two metre long crocodile is the thing to do if you ever find yourself on holiday in the African country of Gambia. It may sound daft, but, er, well… It is! Getting in the face of a giant carnivorous Nile crocodile is never going to be the safest thing to do, though the handlers at the Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool insist that it is.
Why you don’t have to worry
So the croc-handlers say that no one has ever been attacked and that you’re fine to stroke one of the eight-foot beasts (they even have the odd albino one). Understandably, you might not be too relaxed by this reassurance. After all, if someone had had their head bitten off, the park would hardly tell you about it, would they?! But what they will tell you about is the story of how a kindly old witch supposedly blessed the waters, filled them with crocodiles and promised that the magic water would keep them tame. Let’s hope that’s true, eh?
Hidden dangers
The ‘sacred’ pool is home to well over one hundred of the toothy reptiles who spend most of their time hanging out in the murky green waters, impossible to see. It’s that lack of visibility that many visitors to the park say adds the real menace – you can’t see them, but you know they’re there… SNAP!
Baby boom
Many Africans visit the sacred pool each year because of its reputation as a breeding ground for well, breeding! Apparently your fertility can be boosted by hanging out with these special crocodiles. Coincidence or not, many ladies have reported becoming pregnant by their amorous partners after a visit to Kachikally.
Keen?
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Crocodile Dundee or you’re just a bit insane, The Gambia can be found of the Western tip of Africa, encased entirely by its neighbour, Senegal. The Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool is privately owned by the Bojang family in a place called Bakau, which is only a very short drive away from the little country’s capital Banjul (less than ten miles) and the plethora of tourist resorts Gambia has on its Atlantic coast.
Ever come face-to-face with a croc or alligator? Or quite like the idea? Let us know.
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