Video 1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2mf6r5zwekukr48/VRP7634_1.mp4?dl=0
Video 2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1ygcqezn2t9so6/VRP7634.mp4?dl=0
Braze villagers go fishing by paddling through a pond infested with strangely peaceful crocodiles – who have become used to humans in their territory.
The kind family of estuarine crocodiles, including one that is 10ft-long and weighs 100kg, live in the pond in Prachinburi province, Thailand.
Residents who live nearby visit the pond and wade through the water to catch shellfish and shrimps, but there has never been a report of crocodile attacks on any of the villagers.
Footage from last Thursday (Jan 28) shows how the locals even take their time while looking for food in their boats, but the reptiles just lay a few metres away appearing to be undisturbed.
Teerapong Grailana, a fisherman, said the creatures have been living in the area for as long as they can remember but they have never harmed anyone.
He said: ‘The crocodiles have been here for a long time. It is normal for us to see them and they don’t bother us.’
The pond has become a tourist attraction where people watch the peaceful creatures swim.
Wanlop Prawatwong, the district chief, said they have offered to relocate the reptiles into into a marine research centre but the villagers refused.
He said: ‘The villagers did not want us to disturb the crocodiles. They have been living together with them for 20 years and have never hurt anyone, so people thought it was unfair to move them.
‘They believe that the crocodiles should not be caught but they agreed that they should have a separate area with a fence to keep the tourists safe.’
Huge warning signs were already put up so that people were aware that crocodiles live in the pond.