Meet 155 years old crocodiles @ Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

"What? Visiting crocodile farm again? What's so special with the crocodiles? I just visited the crocodiles not along ago in Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor." That was what playing in my mind when my friend suggested me to visit the crocodile farm when traveling to Desaru, Johor. 

Nevertheless, the place does not disappoint me as I have gained a lot of knowledge from the owner's sharing. This crocodile farm is located at Teluk Sengat, about 30 minutes driving distance from Desaru. 

Teluk Sengat is located at the end of Sungai Johor. Teluk Sengat means "thorny harbour" in Malay. It was said that ancestors had to avoid a kind of fish with thorns on their backs and underwater brambles before they could go onshore and later settled in Teluk Sengat. Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm is established since 1950 and opened to the public in 1997. The farm spans across 10 acres and is famed as the largest crocodile farm in Peninsular Malaysia.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm is housing as much as 1000 saltwater crocodiles at last count. The saltwater crocodiles also being known as Crocodylus porosus. According to Madam Huang, the 3rd generation owner of Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm, it is all started during her late grandfather time when he involved in seafood distribution business. The aboriginals and villagers came to him selling off the catches including crocodiles from nearby rubber estates for a living. There was no market price and buyers for crocodiles at that time, but not to disappoint them, he bought and kept the crocodiles. Her late father also ran the family's business. The villagers sold the captured crocodiles to him. Initially, her late father bred and kept the crocodiles in the backyard of the house. But, his action created dissatisfaction among the neighbourhood as crocodiles are the carnivore and considered as the violent animal which might endanger them. 

He then sold off all his crocodiles to a Singapore businessman and earned some lucrative profit from the selling. He used the money to build a crocodile farm which is the current location of the farm for conservation and reproduction works until now. The number of crocodiles increased tremendously since then.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

The crocodiles can survive both on land and water. In water, they are the kings of the river. However, they aren't when they are on land. According to the owner, even though crocodiles are fierce but they are chicken-hearted at the same time. They are feared of thunder, python, and firecrackers. They do not even dare to come closer with hippopotamus and tiger.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

There are 8 breeding ponds and 81 concrete cements ponds. Each breeding pond holds at least 50 to 100 crocodiles.

The farm is built at the palm oil plantation area and designed to resemble its natural habitat. There are sufficiently wide and deep dams, sunny as well as shady spots and sandy surface that are ideal for the crocodile to lay its eggs. The crocodile farm is clean and well maintained.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Crocodylus porosus can live to around 70-100 years old. The oldest crocodiles have been living in the farm since 1950.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

The crocodiles are fed fresh meats such as dead chicken. According to the owner, the food expenses for the ferocious crocodiles with hearty appetite are approximately RM30k per month! This is extremely expensive and burdening to keep the crocodiles as pets! They don't kill any crocodiles in the farm for meat and any body parts for selling.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

There is no reliable way of estimating the crocodiles' ages. The most common method used to estimate the age of the crocodile is by measuring lamellar growth rings in bones and teeth. Each ring corresponds to a change in growth rate which typically occurs once a year between dry and wet season. 

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

The crocodiles are aggregated according to their ages.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Visitors have a chance to witness the crocodiles aged 155 years and above! OMG! They are so big in sizes! 155 years! They can be considered as my "great grandparents" at that age!

One of the 155 years old crocodiles at Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

The male crocodiles are always bigger than the female crocodiles. The male crocodiles can grow up to at least 20 feet in length and weigh at least 1000 kg. While the female crocodiles are shorter measuring around 9 feet and weigh only 500 kg. Both male and female crocodiles have 5 paws on the front legs and 4 paws on the hind legs.

The female crocodile is protecting her eggs at Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Crocodiles mating cycle starts in August. Female crocodiles start to lay eggs from January to March. 

The female crocodile is protecting her eggs at Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

After laying the eggs, the female crocodile will deposit her eggs normally 20 in number in a nest of rotting vegetation or shallow pit by the river bank.The eggs are buried in the ground about 2-3 meters depth from the surface for protection and the covering enables the eggs to hatch in certain temperature and environment condition.
Crocodiles embryos do not have sex chromosomes and unlike human sex is not determined genetically. The sex of the young will be determined by the temperature of the nests. Studies have shown that nests with an internal temperature above 93 degree Fahrenheit (33.9 C) tend to result in all males whereas nests with an internal temperature below 83 F (28.3 C )tend to result in all females. Warmer weather will usually produces more males.

The responsible mother crocodile will dig the eggs out when she hears eggs hatching. Bear in my mind that the crocodiles have a strong hearing which can hear the voice in 20km proximity in tracking down prey animals! 

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

After the eggs are hatched, the crocodile babies are transferred by the farm workers to incubators for intensive care. The crocodiles' eggs do not contain egg yolks. I heard that the lecithin content in the crocodiles' eggs is almost 2 times than other eggs.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

According to Madam Huang, crocodiles have a very strong immune system. They do not suffer from any ailment even in contaminated swamps, wound inflicted by other crocodiles hardly being infectious, instead the wound heals rapidly by itself.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

In the farm, there are also handicapped crocodiles. Since born, they are tailless while others have cleft palate. They are kept in own concrete cement pond and separated from others.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

At the entrance, visitors are allowed to touch the baby crocodiles.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

A crocodile's tongue doesn't move. It is held in place at the roof of the mouth by a membrane. Because crocodiles spend so much time underwater, the tongue helps keep the throat closed, protecting the animal's airway. Unlike other species, the tongue plays no part in feeding.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

Visitors are allowed to take photos with the docile baby crocodiles with a minimum surcharge of RM2.

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

This is a worthwhile visiting place where you can see thousands of crocodiles in one time from the youngest to the oldest. As a travel blogger, at least I could tell others I have been to the largest crocodile farm in Peninsular Malaysia and seen the 155 years old crocodiles!LOL

Teluk Sengat Crocodile Farm

The admission ticket is RM8 per adult and RM4 per child. The farm is opened daily 9am to 6pm.

        

Address:
Lots 1289 & 1290, Jalan Sembilan,
Kampung Belading, Teluk Sengat,
81940 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia

Phone: +607-895 5220
Fax: +607-895 5137