Teluk Naga village to open crocodile park

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Following the Tangerang regency administration officially declaring that Tanjung Pasir village is a tourist destination, the Teluk Naga district administration approved the construction of a crocodile park in the village in a bid to attract tourists.

The planned five-hectare crocodile park -- which will replace the Indonesia Jaya Crocodile Park in Pluit, North Jakarta -- was welcomed by the villagers in the hopes that the park would also employ people in the area.

Ahmad Yani, leader of a community youth group, said on Saturday that all young men in the village would be ready to provide security for the construction work of the crocodile park "because it (the park) will become a village asset".

He claimed 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.

Mu'min Abdillah, a respected local figure, said that he supported the plan to build the crocodile park as it would help attract domestic tourists to come to the village. He also hoped that the village would become more known to people from outside the area although the main access road was still in a poor state.

However, some residents were a bit apprehensive about having wild carnivorous beasts in their midst. Hendri, another villager, asserted that "all crocodiles must be tamed first before they were put in the park. If the crocodiles are wild, we will oppose the park."

An employee with the park's management company, Emin, said that they had already obtained the permits for the Pluit crocodiles from the Jakarta Administration.

"There will be some 100 crocodiles -- small and large -- in the park. Locals do not have to be worried because all crocodiles will be tamed and secured tightly. They will not prey upon the local villagers," he said, while adding that the park would be opened sometime next year.