User:Shoopala36/The Crocodile Ranch

Founded in 1986,The Crocodile Ranch in Otjiwarongo is one of the few captive breeding programs for the Nile crocodile in Namibia.The ranch was started by a South African-based businessman,Mr. van Dyk. The Ranch offers visitors the chance to learn more about the Nile crocodile and get up close, without the risk of being eaten. The hot and humid hatchery of his crocodile ranch in the small Namibian town of Otjiwarongo, Mr. van Dyk was worriedly stacking the plastic crates containing 1,350 newly laid crocodile eggs into the limited space. It was December 10, 1993, and he knew that he had to expand the hatching and nursing facilities of this crocodile ranch before January 1996 in order to provide the necessary space to accommodate twice the present production of eggs expected in the 1996 breeding season.He was also considering the option of exporting processed crocodile skin products, like handbags, shoes, and belts. Without the resources to construct his own tannery, he would have to find processing and manufacturing facilities.Prior to his Crocodile Ranch, he had his own motor service station and a bakery in Khorixas, a town in the far north of Namibia. He has also farmed with cattle and sheep, but due to droughts and a high theft rate, he abandoned his farming operations. He sold his business and made the decision to start up a crocodile ranch because he considered himself to be a farmer at heart and also because he was very interested in tourism. He visited various crocodile farms in South Africa and Botswana, where he made a thorough study of crocodile farming during 1985. Mr. van Dyk chose Otjiwarongo as the ideal location for his business. The climate of Otjiwarongo—hot during summer months and warm in winter—was favorable for crocodile farming. It was on the main tourism route of Namibia, and he could find a regular supply of meat to feed the crocodiles as the Otjiwarongo abattoir was prepared to supply him with unborn calves.--Protasius shoopala (talk) 14:22, 29 September 2011 (UTC)