Shocking New PETA Asia Investigation Shows Crocodile Skinned Alive in Thailand
London – A new PETA Asia investigation into the exotic-skins industry in Thailand reveals workers using metal blades to crudely hack into the necks of live crocodiles – one of whom continued to move for more than 20 minutes while being skinned alive – prompting PETA to urge consumers and designers to steer clear of exotic skins.
Photos from the investigation are available here, and broadcast-quality video footage is available here.
Stabbing a crocodile in the neck, known as the “nape stab” method, severs or badly damages the animal’s spinal cord, causing paralysis and likely extreme pain but not death, according to reptile biologist Dr Clifford Warwick. Crocodiles may remain alive for more than 90 minutes after this procedure.
“Conscious animals are being stabbed with metal blades and skinned for nothing but vanity,” says PETA Vice President for Europe Mimi Bekhechi. “Numerous undercover investigations have exposed the cruelty inherent in the exotic-skins industry, and we urge shoppers and designers to choose luxurious vegan leathers that leave vulnerable reptiles in peace.”
PETA Asia investigators found that crocodiles at the Phokkathara Crocodile Farm and Live Show are kept in barren enclosures containing pits filled with murky green water. The owner of the farm reported to investigators that he had 4,000 crocodiles and that he has exported skins to China, Korea, and a tannery in Bangkok. He also said that he made his own bags with reptile skin and sold them to visitors on his farm before the COVID-19 pandemic. The skins are sold to intermediaries and could end up anywhere – from fashion brand outlets to tourist shops.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, or Instagram.
Contact:
Sascha Camilli +44 (0) 20 7923 6244; [email protected]
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