Ivory Coast's 'sacred' crocodiles pull in the crowds

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00:00 Across the riverbank, the residence of former President Félix Hufouët-Boigny,

00:05 who left his mark on the history of Ivory Coast, is still standing tall.

00:09 But for these visitors, the palace is not the only center of attention.

00:13 Below, more than 300 crocodiles are swimming right in the middle of the capital.

00:18 They belonged to the former head of state, who used to collect them.

00:22 President Hufouët's crocodiles were first given to him by the president of Mali in 1961.

00:28 The president of Mali came on an official visit to Ivory Coast.

00:32 Madibo Keita was his name, and he gave crocodiles to the president of Ivory Coast,

00:37 who put them in the lake in front of his house.

00:39 This is the very origin of crocodiles.

00:42 Today, what we now call the President's Caimans have become a tourist attraction.

00:50 I came to Yamoussoukro to support the Senegal Lions in the Africa Cup of Nations,

00:57 and I'm taking this opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing,

01:00 particularly to visit the famous Caiman Lake next to the former palace of President Hufouët-Boigny.

01:06 And it was an opportunity for me to see the Caimans come out

01:09 and be fed with chickens thrown to them by the public.

01:12 In addition to admiring the beasts, many people also come to feed them,

01:17 often with live animals like sheep or chicken,

01:21 a gesture that's seen by some as a mystical act.

01:26 It means a lot to us because we can come and talk to them.

01:30 Because according to our Baole customs, you can come and explain your problem,

01:34 your wishes and all that, and then they can sort things out for you.

01:37 That's what my parents told me.

01:40 One thing is for sure, today no one swims in the lake of Yamoussoukro.

01:49 And since one of their handlers was eaten in 2015,

01:52 the president's Caimans are now left to fend for themselves.

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