Crocodile Donegal: da Letterkenny in Zimbabwe

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fergus
00giovedì 17 luglio 2008 12:31
Irish vet snaps up work in Zimbabwe
By Harry Walsh
Wednesday July 16 2008

HE's been dubbed Crocodile Donegal. A vet from Letterkenny has become a consultant working for the largest crocodile farm in the world.

And to add to the challenge facing Gerald Roarty, the farm is located in troubled Zimbabwe, where economic and political conditions are dire.

Mr Roarty (42) is managing partner of the Donegal Animal Hospital, but he developed an interest in crocodiles while studying in London.

His expertise led to the Kariba Crocodile Farm -- which is located near the Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe -- contacting him last year.

"They sought my advice with regards to nutrition as their crocs weren't thriving. I took up the offer to travel over to work with them and brought my seven-year-old son, Cathal, with me," he said.

Crocodile farming is a lucrative business. Millions are made each year from the sale and export of skins for the manufacture of leather products such as handbags and shoes. The meat is a delicacy among local communities.

The farm is enormous and Mr Roarty believes the jobs provided are a lifeline in a country where poverty is rife.

He said: "They are the largest producer of crocodile skins in the world, producing 100,000 skins per year, as well as crocodile meat," he said.

Struggle

"The justification for keeping the farm going is that it is supported by the South African government and is giving employment to all these people (they employ 1,018 people). They also feed and educate their workers who, otherwise, would struggle to make ends meet," he added.

Since returning home, Gerald has established a link between the local Chisuma school in the area and the Donegal Animal Hospital. "We're doing our bit to help provide teaching materials at the school," said Gerald, who was struck by the abject poverty of the Kariba area.

Throughout their time in Africa, Gerald and his son were transported from site to site with armed guards by their side. "It was a different experience but I was drawn to comments made by Brian Keenan about his time in Lebanon.

"He said that during his time in captivity, everything came back to him from when he was a small boy and I thought it was a great opportunity for Cathal to see a bit of the world."

There are up to 1,500 breeding crocodiles, mostly females, at Kariba. Each female lays an average of 34 eggs.

The farm raises the baby crocodiles in a controlled environment. When they reach four years old, they are killed for the skins. The farm ships the skins to Japan and Singapore where factories turn it into shoes, belts, bags, and other accessories.

- Harry Walsh
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