| Zoo Name: | Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo |
| Location: | Thai Ban, Samut Prakan Province, Thailand |
| Date Opened: | 1950 (Original) 2024 (Revamped) |
| Date Closed: | 2020 (Original) |
| Area: | 400 rai |
| Num Animals: | Crocodiles: 60,000 |
| Num Species: | 27 |
| Owner: | Youngprapakorn family |
| Management: | Crocodile Farm and Bangpakong Zoo Co., Ltd. |
| Publictransit: | BTS Skytrain Sai Luat Station, Sukhumvit line) |
The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo (Thai: ฟาร์มจระเข้สมุทรปราการ ) was a famous crocodile zoo in Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand that operated from 1950 to its temporary closure in 2020.[1] [2] During is tenure, the zoo operated as one of the largest crocodile zoos in the world, being home to 60,000 crocodiles.[3] It even claimed to hold the world's largest crocodile in captivity, named Yai, who measured around 60NaN0 and weighed 1114kg (2,456lb).[4] The Covid-19 pandemic and the loss of tourists would later cause the zoo's closure in 2020 before going into liquidation in 2021.[5] [6]
Aside from just housing crocodiles, the zoo also housed a wide array of other animals, including Asian elephants, tigers, chimpanzees, gibbons, turtles, snakes, birds, camels, hippos, goats, alpacas, deer, fish, bears, leopards, cows, horses, sheep, boars, ostriches, rabbits, orangutans, peafowl, cassowaries, emus, porcupines and pythons.[7] The area also had an exhibit showcasing models and skeletons of dinosaurs, and also a slide multivision of primitive men and animals. There were daily crocodile shows, famous for the performers who did tricks such as when they put their heads and arms inside a crocodile's mouth. Elephant shows displayed the dexterity of elephants as they walked tightropes, rode skateboards and danced. Visitors could also have taken a short elephant ride, train, or paddle boat ride.
In this area, housed an area where visitors could feed crocodiles in a pond with chicken. Most of the crocodiles here were larger than the other crocodiles in the zoo. Either you could throw chicken into the pond with your hands, or try to lure them with a wooden pole with chicken attached to the end. Another pond featured unique types of crocodiles, including albino, free-black and beetle-tailed.[8]
Also here were crocodile shows where Thai performers would perform with crocodiles, doing actions such as sticking one's head and arms inside of the crocodiles' mouth.
There was an area where visitors (particularly children) could interact and feed carrots to goats and alpacas.
In 1946, Thailand had some of the largest crocodile populations in the world and people would often use their leather to make bags that they then sold at high prices. This would then inspire Uthai Youngpraphakorn to cultivate crocodiles on a farm. The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo was then established in 1950 by Uthai Youngpraphakorn on an area of 1 rai. This would later expand to its current area of 400 rai. Uthai would later die aged 96 on October 7, 2021.[9]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist numbers in Thailand plummeted as international travel ceased. Along with the rest of the tourism industry, the zoo suffered massive financial losses. On January 26, 2021, it was announced that the company that operated the farm, Bangpakong Crocodile Farm and Zoo Co., Ltd., was going into liquidation. This comes after a civil case where the Youngprapakorn family objected the order in September of 2020.
There were at least three suicides at the facility—these involved women who jumped into a crocodile pond and got eaten alive; there was such an incident in 2002 and a news report from the BBC made reference to a similar occurrence a decade prior to this,[10] and more recently in 2014.[11]
A recent article published in The Washington Post alleged that the animals were exploited at the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo.[12] An article published by National Geographic which reported animal abuse and neglect, in particular concerned an elephant named Gluay Hom.[13]