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28th March 2024
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HomeNewsThousand crocodile theme park in Cyprus

Thousand crocodile theme park in Cyprus

Nile crocodileSHORTLY after I moved to Cyprus plans were unveiled for a 50 feet high statue of Aphrodite at Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock) in Paphos to encourage tourism.

During the following years a number of other proposals were put forward to attract visitors to the island, including: a Disney-style theme park near Oroklini; a conference centre at Monagroulli incorporating a record-breaking 135 metre high statue of an angel; and a seaplane landing and take-off facilities and a series of recreational developments in Paphos, none of which got off the ground.

The latest ‘initiative’ comes from a consortium of Israeli and Cypriot businessmen who plan to build a theme park in Psematismenos with 1,000 Nile crocodiles.

It appears that the Israeli authorities want to get rid of crocodiles in their country and their slaughter has already been banned – prompting the company to seek other markets.

The consortium has met with the Minister of Agriculture, Nicos Kouyialis, who has instructed Veterinary Services to study the proposal to ensure it guarantees the safety of visitors and residents. Obviously any escaping reptiles could pose a serious risk to humans and the environment.

The crocodile farm in Israel opened in 1987, but was ordered to close following the escape of 70 of the reptiles in 2007, which cause panic amongst the public.

Each crocodile has a value of approximately €2,000 and consumes around a pound of meat a day.

Nile crocodiles can reach a length of 5 metres and weigh 1,000kg. The largest recorded specimen was found in Tanzania and measured 6.47 metres in length and weighed 1,090 kg.

If this proposal does come to fruition, I wonder what its impact will be on property prices and sales in the Psematismenos area?

Further reading

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29 COMMENTS

  1. It’s a chance and an attempt to become another hub – crocodiles’ this time. It might come handy when (and if) combined with water-skiing.

    • @Alexey Golovanov on 2014/09/09 at 2:01 pm – I hope the crocodiles will finish off the ‘sharks’ (dodgy lawyers, developers, estate agents, etc) before they start on the water skiers.

  2. This would really help the Cypriot economy, not. What on earth is wrong with these idiots, get the island’s mess sorted first. However feeding the rogues of the island would be a good idea lol.

  3. The footnote at the end of “comments” reads:-

    “The views expressed in reader’s comments are not necessarily shared by the Cyprus Property News”………………….

    But in this case I’m sure Nigel will make an exception – especially the comments regarding the feeding regime for the crocs!!

    • @Cousin Jack on 2014/09/04 at 4:50 pm – I visited a crocodile farm when I was working in South Africa, which bred crocodiles as part of a conservation project.

      I see that some of those commenting would like to feed the ‘crooked’ lawyers, estate agents, developers, etc. to the crocodiles – (a) the poor old crocs would probably get indigestion and (b) 1,000 crocs would not be enough to rid the island of these people.

  4. @Divadi Bear

    Don’t worry about their welfare we will keep them in a cage, with little water and food, baking in the summer sun, like we do with our dogs.

  5. @richard , agree there is no red nose day, but there used to be the radio marathon for children in need, bank employees parading at traffic lights collecting contributions….not sure still goes on…and despite the cause being a good one, I think people think twice about dealing with banks or bank employees…shame the way things have gone on the island.

    As for the crocs, probably just talk, these beasts devour massive amounts of meat…so the cost to maintain them would be enormous, not to mention all the water they would need….

  6. Perish the thought that 1,000 of these should find a place on Cyprus !!!

    I have visited many crocodile breeding centres in many countries, they are kept in deep pits, 3 metres and more deep !

    Now tell me, where are they going to find enough terra firma here where such, (many), pits can be excavated to that depth ?

    This is a BIG NO for Cyprus !!

  7. There are benefits to this hair brained scheme so don’t reject it outright as such.
    I wonder how much a dodgy developer, lawyer, banker and politician weigh. Let me see… approximately 700lbs if they are not overweight. Hang on a moment, don’t we see them dining together drinking and eating on ill begotten gains. Lets make that 800lbs. Throw in a corrupt civil servant or two. maybe three and that’s all 1,000 crocs fed for a day.

    There you go, a simple way to reduce the islands corruption on a day by day basis…..if only.

  8. And why not another theme park with “exidnes”?? We must be more “patriotic” and promote local reptiles..

  9. A consortium of crocodiles has submitted a proposal to the Minister of Agriculture to build a theme park with 1,000 Israeli and Cypriot businessmen at Psematismenos in the Larnaca district.

  10. To boost tourism – I was thinking of importing the charitable event “red nose day” to the Republic.

    Sadly – in the end I feared no-one would actually notice the difference from any other day there in the Republic!

  11. Obviously the Israelis have spotted a country loony enough to take their unwanted problem animals! Well, more sensible ideas never came to fruition – I bet this one does!! Next time I go to Larnaca I’ll pack a spare wooden leg.

  12. Why not allow the crocs into the island. We already have an island full of snakes who take the form of bankers, lawyers, developers and estate agents. They may be able to stop the snakes from breeding further.

  13. Don’t crocodiles need water – lots of it? So what happens during our parched summers when there’s scarcely enough for humans let alone 1000 very large reptiles?

    Damn lunatics need to get back in the asylum.

  14. Perfect solution to the stray animal problem,as I’m envisaging unwanted animals being chucked over the fence, though the idea of stray crocs is a big worry.

    Seriously this idea of a croc park is simply looney tunes. I’m against using wild animals for entertainment anyway, but they are so utterly boring as a tourist attraction. What do crocs do other than lay around with their eyes poking above the water.

    Better to farm them and turn them into handbags and shoes. We have the slaughter houses and we have empty factory lots and lots of unemployed.

  15. Another idiotic and clutching at straws proposal. Within 5 years of any potential arrival these creatures will be living and feeding in each of our reservoirs and then roaming in their search for food. Does we have the capacity to produce prosthetic limbs?

    However, on the up side what a perfect opportunity to mete out summary justice, otherwise denied by the courts, as first indicated by Mr Jones. Perhaps not such a bad idea after all!

  16. Another set of animals that the Cypriots will treat badly. Aren’t there enough animals on the Island that they have no idea how to look after. I can foresee dogs and cats being fed to the crocodiles to save money buying meat for them.

    Lynn – Pervolia

  17. Absolute MADNESS Why would you ?

    More smoke and mirrors to divert attention from the real matters……

    How about a proposal to sort out the mess that they have already got … ?

  18. At least it will keep all these predators in one place and save them roaming the streets of Cyprus disguised as lawyers and developers.

  19. How about the 3-4bn worth of investment for the Geroskipou area as announced by the archbishop, or the Qatar Nicosia investment joke or ahem and the countless other proposals that don’t materialize?

    IF it does happen then I suggest they are fed ahem well I better not say as most post will get rejected.

  20. Now this is something I approve of.

    Perhaps the general public should be allowed to feed developers, lawyers and bankers to the crocodiles and hence be able to mete out summary justice that can’t be obtained in Cypriot courts.

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