Crocodile park enlivens Tangerang

Crocodile park enlivens Tangerang

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The newly built Tanjung Pasir crocodile park in the Teluk Naga
district of Tangerang regency, will only be open to the public on
the first day of Idul Fitri holidays on Nov. 3, but its presence
has already boosted local residents' hopes about an improved
economy.

Located some 15 kilometers north of Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport, the four-hectare crocodile park replaces
the Indonesia Jaya Crocodile Park in Pluit, North Jakarta, which
was moved out to make way for other development.

The park is currently a home to some 100 crocodiles -- babies
and adults -- but there are plans to expand to 500 crocodiles.

It is located far from any residential area, but hectares of
nearby shrimp ponds have become an interesting entrance view for
visitors.

"Visitors will not only enjoy observing the crocodiles and
various crocodile attractions here, they can also watch dangdut
music shows, debus (Banten traditional martial arts) shows and
other traditional attractions," park manager Suhanda told The
Jakarta Post on Saturday.

The park has a large field with a stage for music shows, two
ponds able to accommodate a total of 500 crocodiles, three open
stages for debus and crocodile attractions, a special section for
crocodile breeding, plus a playground for child visitors.

Adult visitors pay Rp 12,000 each, while children's tickets
are Rp 6,000, which include snacks.

The Tangerang regency administration has officially declared
Tanjung Pasir village as a tourist destination, side-by-side with
Tanjung Kait beach, some 10 kilometers west of Tanjung Pasir in
the regency's northern coastal area.

"We welcome and approve the construction of the crocodile park
in a bid to attract more tourists to come to Tanjung Pasir," said
head of Teluk Naga district administration, Didi Wijaya.

Not only did the administration and local residents also
welcome the crocodile park in the hopes that it would bring more
prosperity by employing the nearest village's relatives.

"All young men in the village will be ready to help in
providing security for visitors because the crocodile park will
become a village asset," Achmad Yani, leader of the village
community youth group, told the Post.

He said that the park management had invited local figures,
including his group, and offered them to help manage the park,
with a promise that it would employ around 30 villagers.

Meanwhile, Mu'min Abdillah, a respected local figure,
said that he supported the presence of the crocodile park
as it would help attract domestic tourists to come to the
village.

"We also hope that the village will become known more to
people and that the administration will repair and widen the main
access roads heading to the village," he said.

But the specter of a large group of carnivorous reptiles
living in the area gave some residents reason for pause.

"The crocodiles have to be tamed first, otherwise they must
go," asserted villager Darussalam.

The park spokesman Emin Suhermin claimed that the premises has
tight security and that all crocodiles would be tamed before
entering the park.

"No worries ... they will not prey on local villagers," he
added.