La Vanille Crocodile Park

La Vanille Crocodile Park

La Vanille Crocodile Park is a nature reserve that opened to the public in 1985. The park features dense tropical rainforest scenery and is home to dozens of species of wildlife from the southwestern Indian Ocean islands, including crocodiles, making it a small zoo in Mauritius.

La Vanille Crocodile Park was once a vanilla plantation. Later, Australian zoologist Owen Griffiths and his Mauritian wife discovered that the area was suitable for breeding Nile crocodiles, so they imported five from Madagascar. It is now a base for crocodile breeding and rearing in Mauritius. In addition to being on display for visitors, the park also crafts souvenirs such as crocodile specimens, crocodile leather bags, belts, and jewelry. A fast-food restaurant is available on-site where visitors can try crocodile meat. In addition to crocodiles, the park is also home to monkeys, wild boars, deer, giant tortoises, lizards, bats, and other reptiles and small mammals.