The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo ( th, ฟาร์ม จระเข้ สมุทรปราการ ) is a crocodile

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

in Samut Prakan Province,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. The park claims to hold the world's largest crocodile in captivity, named Yai, measuring and weighing . Yai is one among over 100,000 crocodiles at the farm. Visitors to the crocodile farm can see a wide variety of animals other than crocodiles, including

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

s, lions,

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

s, monkeys,

great apes The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s and

hippo The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant ...

s. There are daily crocodile shows, famous for the performers doing tricks such as putting their heads and arms inside a crocodile's mouth. Elephant shows display the dexterity of elephants as they walk tightropes, ride skateboards and dance. Visitors may also take short elephant ride, ride a train, enjoy a paddle boat ride or explore the dinosaur museum. Admission for non-Thai adults is 300 baht. Admission for children is 200 baht. Thai nationals pay 60 baht admission. Foreign-looking residents of Thailand still pay 300 baht. The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm is located at 555 Moo 7 Taiban Road, Taiban Sub-District, Amphur Muang, Samutprakarn, Thailand. Opening hours are from 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. daily. The farm shut down due to Covid-19 situation and went into liquidation in 2020.

Incidents

There have been at least three suicides at the facility—these involved women jumping into a crocodile pond and being eaten alive; there was such an incident in 2002 and a news report from the BBC makes reference to a similar occurrence a decade prior to this, and more recently in 2014. A recent article published in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' alleges that the animals are exploited at the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo. There was a recent article published by '' National Geographic'' reporting animal abuse and neglect, in particular concerning an elephant named Gluay Hom.

References

Zoos in Thailand Buildings and structures in Samut Prakan province Crocodile farms Tourist attractions in Samut Prakan province Articles needing infobox zoo {{Zoo-stub