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“Crocodile Tears” How the Myth Came to Be

crocodile

Some rights reserved By http2007 on flickr

How many times have you heard the saying “Oh, they just were shedding some crocodile tears”?  Interestingly enough this is an ancient myth that a crocodile grieves hypocritical tears when he takes his victim and that has been brought into modern culture.   Humans do not sympathize or shed any tears over the crocodile though.  Instead the saltwater crocodile has been hunted without mercy for their skin or hide which is very valuable.

Saltwater Crocodile

The skin of the saltwater crocodile is some of the best leather that is highly sought after. It is exceptionally soft and  is very durable.  A ladies handbag in places like London can sale for $15,000 and that is at a reduced sale price! It is a noticeable symbol because of the skin and has a very high social status.  Man’s boots are another much sought after item made out of this material.

With crocodile hides being so valuable,  it has threatened the very survival of these creatures.  It has been estimated that between the years of 1945 to 1971 some 113,000 reptiles had been killed in the Northern Territory alone.  In the 1970′s the hunting of these crocodiles were limited so as to not wipe them completely out of existence.  As a result the numbers increased and it was not an endangered species in Australia anymore. The threat is still what many other endangered species are faced with and that is their natural habitat.

Farming of crocodiles

In recent times the farming of crocodiles and the emphasis of education led to conserving these animals that tourist love to visit.  These farms allow breeding so that the skin and meat can still be processed without affecting the wild crocodile population.

November 11, 2010 - Posted by | Animals & Pets | , , , , , , ,

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