In a long-standing ritual for prosperity, the Mayor of a small Mexican town has married a crocodile bride. A video shows him kissing the reptile, whose mouth is tied shut.
Reports state that the seven-year-old crocodile, nicknamed ‘little princess,’ represents a deity associated with mother earth. Her marriage to the local leader symbolizes the unity between humans and the divine.
This tradition likely dates back centuries ago to the Oaxaca state Chontal and Huave indigenous communities.
“It is the union of two cultures. The union of the Huaves and the Chontales,” Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa told reporters.
In the video, the crocodile is dressed in a white ‘bridal gown’ as it is presented to its ‘groom.’ Its mouth is tied shut as the mayor kisses it.
People gather at the celebration, dancing and enjoying themselves.
Olivia Perez, in charge of dressing up the crocodile, said that for them, she represents a lot because she is “the Queen, the Princess who brings water, a good harvest, and rain.”
The mayor of Mexico’s San Pedro Huamelula married a crocodile as part of a ritual to usher in a good harvest pic.twitter.com/JYByIWYbRb
Later in the video, the crocodile is dressed in another outfit with decorations all over it, and the groom dances with it as everyone celebrates joyfully.
In an effort to mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife in Namibia’s Kavango and Zambezi regions, the country has decided to sell 40 crocodiles, according to local media reports.
Interested buyers are required to submit their tender offers to the Ministry of Environment by July 17th.
Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the ministry, explained that a significant portion of Namibia’s wildlife exists outside national parks, leading to ongoing concerns regarding crocodile attacks on people and livestock in these regions.
Prospective buyers must demonstrate that they have a suitable habitat for the crocodiles and will be responsible for the costs associated with capturing them. Importing the crocodiles will require obtaining permits from the respective countries involved.
An Australian guy who was snorkelling off the coast of far-north Queensland when he was bitten on the head by a crocodile managed to escape the unique attack by prying apart the reptile’s jaws.
The avid surfer and diver Marcus McGowan was snorkelling with his wife and a group of friends near a remote island off the northern edge of the country when he felt something had “got its jaws around my head.”
McGowan said in a statement on Tuesday that he initially believed he had been bitten by a shark, but that as he reached up, he discovered it was actually a crocodile.
“I was able to lever its jaws open just far enough to get my head out,” recalled the Gold Coast resident, who said the crocodile then struck at him again, but he managed to push it away with his hand.
The boat that had taken McGowan’s group to the diving spot near Charles Hardy Islands, some 40 kilometers off the coast, heard their screams and came to retrieve them.
McGowan was rushed to Haggerston, a resort island some 45 minutes away, before being helicoptered to a regional hospital. He suffered cuts and puncture wounds to his head and hands.
“I was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I’m just grateful it was me and not one of the kids or ladies in the group,” he said in the statement.
McGowan said the attack happened so quickly he was unable to get a proper look at the croc but guesses it was a juvenile, about two to three meters long.
Saltwater crocodiles can grow up to six meters long and weigh up to 1,000 kilograms, according to Australia Zoo.
Known locally as “salties,” the reptiles are more commonly found in the country’s warmer northern regions. According to federal government estimates, there are about 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in Australia.
Crocodiles were sighted on nine occasions in Cook Shire on Cape York since the start of this year, according to the Queensland government.
An unemployed middle-aged man has been spotted on the streets of Abossey Okai, a spare parts hub in Accra, selling some wild animals he had conveyed there on the back of his bicycle.
The animals, caged and ready to be sold, are put on display by Solomon Dorne Ametepey, who said these are only a fraction of the several others he has on his land at Nsawam.
Narrating his story, Samuel explained that he had to bring out some of the animals to sell because he urgently needs money to pay the school fees of his children.
“I have a half piece plot of land at my village, Nsawam, full of animals that will scare you.
“Though the land was very cheap in 2007 when I bought it – GH¢200 a plot, there were animals on it that will scare you. So, I was able to gather courage for some time and I said, let me start taking care of them. At first, I managed to get a monkey and I tamed it to the extent of sending it on errands.
“Now, I have this one called potato, which behaves like a monkey, and then I have 2 Nile crocodiles; a male and a female, and the lifespan of these crocodiles can be 95-100 years, and so they are my pets now,” he said.
He also told the reporter that he grew to love taking care of the animals like it was a hobby.
He also explained that due to wildlife concerns, he has kept the animals always, while he works around getting the right authorisation so that he can operate his mini zoo in the future.
“I have animals there but because of Wildlife, I don’t want to bring them out, but I’m working on my papers, after which I will have my mini zoo and will have tamed animals in there that people can go and see,” he added.
Solomon Dorne Ametepey also explained that he once wanted to join the Ghana Armed Forces, but things did not go as planned.
He added that now, he has been able to learn about herbs and it is through this that he can support his family.
When quizzed about how business is like selling wild animals, he said “if I sell an animal to you, I make sure you are a wildlife advocate. I once sold a parrot that talks and can fly, to a chief in my village and he cut the feathers of the bird. For badly treating the animal, I paid back his money and went back for the animal.
“If you are not an animal lover, I won’t sell my animals to you. I have monkeys in the house which are not in cages because they are not harmful. I have Civet and Janet; cats, in the house. I have an animal in the house that behaves like a tiger, but it is tamed,” he explained.
The middle-aged man explained that since not getting an opportunity to become a soldier, he has learned kickboxing, Taekwondo, self-defense, which he teaches to schools.
He also stated that he once travelled to Dubai but has since returned to Ghana to settle.
