The team at Scottburgh’s popular open-air facility has spent the lockdown period revamping and enhancing the facilities at the centre, as well as settling in a number of interesting new residents. With Crocworld Conservation Centre open to the public in lockdown Level 2, visitors to this safe, family-friendly facility will get the chance to experience the superior offerings and meet the new creatures who’ve found a home here.
“While we’ve certainly missed welcoming our visitors over this period, we’ve taken advantage of the downtime to rejuvenate the centre and get things Covid-19 ready for our re-opening,” said Martin Rodrigues, Manager of Crocworld Conservation Centre. “There are a number of recent arrivals who’ve really taken to their new home, and we’ve worked on some creative designs to give visitors a more engaging experience at our open-air centre. If you haven’t been around to check it out yet, we encourage you to come down and experience the new attractions for yourself!”
What’s new at Crocworld?
The centre welcomed three new species to the team, all of which are on display for visitors. These include:
· Three angulate tortoises, a species endemic to southern Africa;
· A rock monitor (or leguaan), the second-longest lizard found on the African continent; and
· Two western diamondback rattle snakes, a venomous species originating from USA.
The team have undertaken some additional projects during the lockdown period these projects include the revamping of our concrete walk way bridge railings which now includes an exciting new feature “walk the plank feeding platform” which extends 2.5m over crocodile pond 7. Staff will be able to conduct feeding from the platform above the water, this will be a new and thrilling experience for visitors to watch. The project is in its final stages of completion.
Additional projects which are in various stages of undertaking are being commenced, these includes the upgrade of several snake exhibits within our snake tunnel, completion of our animal treatment room as well as the construction of a new bank of bird of prey aviaries for our Booted Eagles, Harris Hawk, European Eagle Owls and Jackal Buzzard’s.
The centre offers a safe, outdoor experience, with all the necessary Covid-19 precautions in place. These include thorough screening and constant sanitising, family group social distancing, and limiting visitor numbers. Crocodile talks and feedings will take place on Saturdays and Sundays only, at 11am and 3pm. The on-site Fish Eagle Café is operational, with a maximum of 50 patrons at a time.
For more information, visit www.crocworld.co.za or the ‘Crocworld Conservation Centre’ for the latest news. To find out more about Fish Eagle Café’s offerings, visit the ‘Fish Eagle Café’ Facebook page.
Rural tourism is celebrated this Tourism Month on the KZN South Coast with new developments