4-year-old Thai girl plays with over 200 baby crocodiles, sparks outrage among netizens

In a concerning development, a four-year-old girl in Thailand was spotted playing with hundreds of newborn crocodiles, also known as hatchlings. This incident came to the fore when her mother, Kwanrudee Siripreecha, posted the videos in early July, which quickly went viral.

Viral video of girl playing with baby crocodiles

The clips show the young girl happily lying in a pool, covered with more than 200 baby crocodiles, holding some in her hands. Kwanrudee, who runs a crocodile farm in Thailand, shared with the Thai TV channel Thaich8 News that her daughter has been fascinated with the hatchlings since she was two years old.

Thai netizens were amazed by a video clip of a young girl playing with several baby reptiles that look like crocodiles in a tub. #crocodilehttps://t.co/aZ8Iw4MDr1

¡ª Thenationthailand (@Thenationth) July 11, 2024

¡°My daughter loves to put the newborn reptiles in a water bowl and watch them swim,¡± she said. According to Kwanrudee, these crocodiles are less than 15 days old and ¡°haven¡¯t grown teeth yet, so they don¡¯t bite.¡± She assured that she closely monitors her daughter while she plays and would pull her out of the pool at any hint of danger.

Netizens show concern for young girl

Despite Kwanrudee's assurances, the videos have attracted significant criticism on social media. Concerned users on the platform X (formerly Twitter) expressed worries about potential risks. One user noted that even if the baby crocodiles don¡¯t bite, their secretions and bacteria in the water could pose a threat. Another user underscored the fact that such actions might provide other children a misguided sense of safety around crocodiles.

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Kwanrudee mentioned that once the crocodiles grow bigger, develop teeth, and have thicker skin, her daughter will no longer be able to play with them. This incident highlights the complex relationship between humans and wildlife in regions where animal farming is a significant industry.

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Thailand ranks among the top nations in the global market for crocodile goods, such as skin and flesh. The Thai Fisheries Department reports that there are more than 1,000 crocodile breeding facilities in the country, each raising over 1,200 crocodiles. These facilities meet the demand for popular items, like the Himalaya Birkin handbag, which can fetch a price of up to 2.4 million baht (about Rs 55,75,182) and crocodile skin suits, costing around 200,000 baht (about Rs 4,64,624).

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