Zimbabwe's Concrete Crocodile Prisons

At the facility of one of the world’s largest exporters of Nile crocodile skins in Zimbabwe, tens of thousands of crocodiles are confined to concrete pits from birth to slaughter. They are deprived of the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors including digging tunnels, playing, protecting their young, or using tools to hunt as they would do in nature.

In the wild, Nile crocodiles can live to be up to 80 years old, but at this facility they are slaughtered at the age of around 3.

Many belly skins are sent to an Hermès-owned tannery where they end up becoming “luxury” items such as “Birkin” and “Kelly” handbags that can cost $50,000 or more. It takes two or three crocodiles to make just one handbag.