The Kachikally crocodile pool is located in the heart of
Bakau
Bakau is a town on the Atlantic coast of Gambia, west of Gambia's capital city of Banjul. It is known for its botanical gardens, its crocodile pool ''Bakau Kachikally'' and for the beaches at Cape Point. Bakau is the first major suburb outside ...
,
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
, about 10 miles (16km) from the capital
. It is one of three sacred
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
pools used as sites for fertility rituals. The others are Folonko in Kombo South and Berending on the north bank.
Ownership
Kachikally is a privately owned crocodile pool belonging to the Bojang family of Bakau, one of the founding families and major land owners of the city.
Kachikally is also the name of the central district of Bakau town; other districts are Sanchaba and New Town, Mile 7, Farrokono.
Crocodiles
The exact number of crocodiles is not known but it is estimated that there are about 80. It was long claimed that all the animals are
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern ...
s (''Crocodylus niloticus''), but research suggests they are a different species, namely the
West African crocodile
The West African crocodile, desert crocodile, or sacred crocodile (''Crocodylus suchus'') is a species of crocodile related to – and often confused with – the larger and more aggressive Nile crocodile (''C. niloticus'').
Taxonomy
Compared ...
(''Crocodylus suchus''). There have been reports of the presence of albino crocodiles. Crocodiles are allowed to roam freely, and can be approached and touched by visitors. Crocodiles found in the wild are sometimes taken to and reared at the holy pools.
References
External links
Kachikally Crocodile Pool & Museum - details, photos, history & contacts
Religion in the Gambia
Museums in the Gambia
{{Gambia-museum-stub