Crocodiles Skinned Alive for Bags, Shoes, and Belts
A PETA Asia investigation into the exotic-skins industry in Thailand reveals that crocodiles are stabbed with a metal blade and continue to move while workers tear off their skin – just to make bags, shoes, belts, and other accessories that are sold around the world.
Investigators visited Thailand’s Phokkathara Crocodile Farm and Live Show. This farm’s owner claimed to possess 4,000 crocodiles. These reptiles are kept in barren enclosures containing murky pits of water instead of being free to explore swamps, sun themselves, and raise their young as they would in nature. The filthy pools are breeding grounds for disease, and being kept in close confinement can prompt aggression among the stressed animals.
A worker employed a crude “nape stab” method to kill a crocodile, attempting to sever the spinal cord and likely causing extreme pain and a slow, agonising death. The animal’s legs continued to move for at least 23 minutes after the worker violently thrust a metal blade into his or her neck. Scientific evaluation suggests that crocodiles may remain alive and conscious for over an hour and a half after enduring such injuries.
Make a Difference for Crocodiles Right Now!
Please don’t support this suffering. Never buy anything made from the skins of animals. With so many humane and eco-friendly vegan materials available today, there’s no excuse for continuing to wear or sell exotic skins.
The abuse seen in this heartbreaking footage is not uncommon – it’s standard practice within the exotic-skins industry. Please urge Hermès, which owns similar crocodile farms in Australia, to stop selling exotic skins now:
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