Alligators and Crocodiles Abused And Tortured Before Becoming Handbags

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An activist group goes undercover to document what it says is abuse of alligators and crocodiles in Africa and Texas.

by David Kirby. Reprinted here with permission from TakePart.com.

Farms in Zimbabwe and Texas are abusing alligators and crocodiles destined to become luxury handbags that fetch upwards of $80,000 each, a report released Wednesday by animal welfare activists alleged.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent investigators to work undercover at two reptile farms owned by Padenga Holdings in Zimbabwe and also sent one to Lone Star Alligator Farms in Winnie, Texas. Padenga bought a 50 percent stake in Lone Star in 2012. The farms supply alligator and crocodile skins to a tannery owned by the French fashion giant Hermès, which turns them into handbags, watchbands, and other fashion goods, stated PETA. Hermès crocodile handbags, which require two or three skins to make, can cost as much as $79,500.

At each facility the investigators documented the animals being kept in inhumane conditions, along with gruesome slaughter practices, the group contends. Video footage from the investigations has been posted at PETA’s website.

Neither Padenga, Lone Star, nor Hermès responded to requests for comment. But according to Padenga’s website, its animals are treated humanely.

“Padenga’s farming operations are focused towards the physical and psychological wellbeing of its livestock, with the production of healthy, stress-free animals being viewed as one of the keys to the Company’s success,” the website states.

In Texas, PETA’s undercover investigator “found alligators kept in fetid water and dank, dark sheds without sunshine, fresh air, clean water, or even basic medical care,” PETA said in a statement.

In Zimbabwe, PETA alleged, living conditions for crocodiles are little better at facilities owned by Padenga, which supplies nearly 85 percent of Nile crocodile skins to luxury brands globally.

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