Crocodile farming in Nandine county
CROCODILE FARMING IN NANDI COUNTY
A narration by Archdeacon Japhet Sugu
In Chepsangor village in Nandi County something unusual is attracting attention and murmurs among the inhabitants. It’s commonly and renowned Nandi highlands is full of large-scale tea farms and also dairy cattle farming. Archdeacon Japhet Sugu has gone contrary to the norm. He has opened up a crocodile sanctuary in his Bustani la Edeni farm (Garden of Eden), which will help boast the economy and also a learning opportunity by primary and secondary school learners. He started the venture in 2018 by obtaining a change of his user permit from Agriculture to recreational and religious activities. The county government of Nandi County granted him the permit; he applied to the Kenya Wild life service for a permit. They did send their officers to survey and a certain the types of wild animals he would be allowed to farm. He was allowed to keep ostrich, guinea fowls, crocodiles and tortoise, with these animals in his farm things didn’t go well with the neighbours.They were uneasy with the animals, in the African these animals were used for witchcraft. Anyone rearing them was either a traditional medicine man or a diviner. With this in mind of any typical African his neighbours were not exception, as time went on, they came to accept them and embrace his farming idea. His crocodile farm has boasted the village economy by having visitors coming to his farm this include school children who come to study and other visitors. When they visit, they spend money by buying from the village shops and transportation by Boda-boda transport via motorcycle. He plans to bread the crocodile and sale them to other farmers. And apply for a leather licences to produce leather from the crocodile skin. Click the link below to view his interview on YouTube: