Shocking New PETA Investigation Shows Crocodile Skinned Alive in Thailand

Bangkok — A new PETA 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 the group to urge consumers everywhere to never buy products made of the skin of reptiles. Photos from the investigation are available here, and broadcast-quality video footage is available here.

Stabbing crocodiles in the neck, known as the “nape stab” method, severs or badly damages the animals’ spinal cords, 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.

“The crocodile in this video was conscious and moving for nearly half an hour while being stabbed and skinned with metal blades, all for fleeting fashion trends,” says PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “PETA’s investigation exposes the cruelty inherent in the reptile-skins industry, and we urge shoppers to choose luxurious vegan leathers that leave vulnerable reptiles in peace.”

According to PETA investigators, 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 Korea, China, 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 middlemen and could end up anywhere from fashion brands 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 on PETA Asia’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit  PETAAsia.com or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

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