'Most difficult decision of my life': Thailand farmer kills 125 critically endangered crocodiles. Here's why

The farmer put down 25 crocodiles in less than 24 hours. (Representational)

A crocodile farmer in Thailand has put down over 100 critically endangered Siamese crocodiles to prevent them from escaping into the community after severe damage to their enclosure caused by Typhoon Yagi. Natthapak Khumkad, 37, known by the nickname “Crocodile X,” faced an agonising choice as rising waters and eroding walls threatened to unleash the massive reptiles, some reaching lengths of up to 13 feet.

“I had to make the most difficult decision of my life to kill them all,” Natthapak told CNN. “My family and I discussed if the wall collapsed, the damage to people’s lives would be far bigger than we can control. It would involve people’s lives and public safety.”

On September 22, he took action, putting down 125 crocodiles in less than 24 hours as heavy rains from the storm battered the region.

Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm in Asia this year, ravaged through southern China and Southeast Asia, resulting in at least nine deaths in Thailand alone. Experts pointed to climate change as a driving force behind the increasing intensity of such storms.

“Storms like Yagi are getting stronger due to climate change, primarily because warmer ocean waters provide more energy to fuel the storms, leading to increased wind speeds and heavier rainfall,” Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, explained.

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, flooding can separate animals from their families, drown them, or destroy their habitats. The threat of climate-induced disasters is growing, as evidenced by the devastation wrought by relentless rainfall and flooding in Gujarat recently, where dozens of crocodiles were spotted in the city – they were later rescued and placed in their river habitat.

Natthapak’s northern Thailand farm, which has operated for 17 years, had previously weathered every rainy season until this year’s unprecedented downpours eroded the walls of the crocodile enclosure.

“I had to make a decision in less than 24 hours when I saw the erosion progress rapidly,” he recounted, noting that he had to resort to electrocution to euthanize the crocodiles. Pornthip Nualanong, chief of Lamphun’s fishery office, commended his actions as “brave and responsible,” emphasizing the potential danger if adult crocodiles escaped into nearby paddy fields.

Among those killed was Ai Harn, the oldest male crocodile and leader of the pack, known for his impressive size and breeding prowess.

Siamese crocodiles, while critically endangered, are commonly bred and sold in Thailand, where crocodile farming has evolved into a lucrative industry, generating an estimated 6 to 7 billion Thai baht (over Rs 1,8000 crore) annually. Despite their commercial value, the wild population of Siamese crocodiles has been drastically diminished due to hunting and large-scale farming practices, with estimates suggesting only a few hundred remain in their natural habitat.