Crocworld at Scottburgh KZN

CROCWORLD, the popular KZN South Coast tourist attraction which welcomes approximately 60 000 visitors a year, has undergone a massive transformation.

“Of course, there are crocodiles here, but now there is so much more,” said Martin Rodrigues, spokesman and the resident snake expert who has overseen the changes at the 27-year-old Crocworld at Scottburgh.

“Crocworld is also a wildlife experience with many new exciting offerings. People who visited a couple of years ago will notice changes,” said Rodrigues.

A new team is now at the helm of the 24ha attraction and they are passionate about building “something wonderful.” The section of the farm which bred crocodiles for their skins closed three years ago and now the crocodile eggs that are produced are sent to other crocodile farms. Depending on the season, some hatchlings are retained to enable young visitors the unique chance of holding a baby crocodile. The focus now is on connecting people to nature “and the shift is more to conservation and education,” said Rodriques, a nature conservationist.

The shift provided an opportunity for staff to take a completely fresh look at Crocworld and to introduce new ways of doing things. New enclosures have gone in,  infrastructure has been revamped, while exhibits have been increased at the wheelchair-friendly venue, which famously boasts spectacular sea views.

The bird section has been expanded with a host of new species and the park now has 11 of the 12 deadly dozen venomous snakes in South Africa. Crocworld is trying to source the remaining one: a black spitting cobra. The birds have either been bred in captivity or cannot be released because of injury, and the most famous is Isis, the African fish eagle, which was taken to Crocworld with a broken wing. The venue is a birding paradise and Rodrigues has counted 99 species thus far however the list is constantly growing. One birder spotted 47 different species in a morning.

A children’s playground has been installed with equipment that also caters for disabled children. It is the perfect venue for parties and volunteers will be on duty during holiday seasons to keep an eye on the children. There is even a baby’s change room. The playground is next to McDonalds Farm, home to pigs, pygmy goats and rabbits. For the scores of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, it is a chance to interact with some of the animals they would not normally see.

Acclaimed award-winning indigenous landscaper and author, Elsa Pooley, who helped shape the original Crocworld back in the 1980s with her late husband, Tony, has been called in again, and her work starts at the entrance, where she has created a beautiful succulent garden. She has also worked her magic inside the park to fashion an indigenous garden with 100 species of plants that can grow and flower in the shade in KZN. Gardeners, including those with holiday homes in the area, should take their cameras along for ideas.

One big drawcard is Henry, the 100-year-old Nile crocodile, the oldest and heaviest in captivity. Measuring almost 5m and weighing between 700-1 000kg, his harem of seven wives produce 300 babies a year. Another whopper is Colgate, a whipper-snapper of about 60 years, which has the whitest teeth.

Crocodile feeding sessions start at 11.30am, except Mondays out of season. There are also daily snake handling demonstrations (ring 039-976 1103 for timings).

Crocodile feeding sessions take place daily at 11:00Am and again at 15:00Pm, except Mondays out of season. There are also daily snake handling demonstrations.

The restaurant, Le Rendez-Vous, which has been modernised and is run by French chef Julien Lepront, has been listed as one of the country’s top 100 restaurants. The menu ranges from simple meals to fine-dining-and you can even get three offerings of crocodile meat, brought in from another croc farm.

The entrance prices to Crocworld are R55 for adults and R35 for children aged 4-12, with group discounts for parties of 20 or more. The Crocworld contact number is 039 976 1103.