Crocodiles have played an important part in human culture. Some people in certain parts of the world worship them as supernatural creatures while some others use them for decorative or medical purposes. But hunting for skin and meat caused the greatest havoc to its survival. And the value of crocodile skin depends on several factors. Needless to say, the Nile crocodiles found in Kenya is one of the highly sought out skins for making high-quality leather. It is the ossification under the belly that is a major factor that separates the skin of Nile crocodile from the other crocodile species.
June 22, 2023
One of the largest crocodilians is the Nile crocodile found in eastern Kenya. It is a marine predator that has evolved over centuries. It has a streamlined body, a powerful tail, and webbed hind feet. But the most distinguishable feature of a Nile crocodile is the enlarged tooth on the lower jaw, which juts out and is visible when it keeps its mouth closed. As the size of its body increases, its taste bud and appetite changes as well. And what transforms with that is its food hunting behavior. However, what remains unchanged is the human-crocodile conflict in the wild.
Any wildlife safari traveler in Kenya would concur that cheetahs in the wild are typically solitary animals, but they are the most sociable among all the fat cats. After leaving the mother cheetah around the age of one, siblings stay together for six months. In the cheetah family, it is the domesticated females who take up the lion’s share of bringing up the cubs and forming family relationships. Males’ role starts and ends at mating. Apart from mating, males neither have any familial function nor do they possess any feelings for or bonding with the pregnant mother or the cubs.
There are certain limitations when bringing up cheetahs. People have been killed while interacting with cheetahs. Treating them like domestic pets does not make them safe either. Caring for cheetahs is unlike that of a domestic animal. Even if they have been brought up from a young age, news reports abound of their attacks. Being forced to live in captivity can lead to stress as it prevents them from exhibiting natural instincts. And out of this frustration, cheetahs can become destructive and cause havoc. Urine spraying is one such behavior. In short, cheetahs are a danger to clueless pet owners.