Castanet employees
Earlier this week, the electricity was turned off and the lights on CrocTalk went out after the nonprofit conservation agency was unable to pay FortisBC’s installation costs.
But thanks to crowdfunding and a few generous donations, CrocTalk is back in session … kind of. Cash struggles plagued the crocodile rescue center for years, but their recent financial troubles may be exacerbated by the recent loss of their zoo’s controlled alien species (CAS) permit, which does not allow them to show their animals to the public.
This concerns the SPCA, which rightly assumes that without the opportunity to present their animals, CrocTalk profits can decrease even further and even result in the animals no longer being able to be fed.
“It is very worrying that it does not currently meet the criteria that the government has set for zoos,” says Dr. Sara Dubois, Scientific Director of the SPCA.
Due to a change in the law, CrocTalk lost their permit (after a grace period) earlier this year, but received personal possession that allowed them to continue to own the animals but forbade any public viewing or breeding.
“He was one of the few institutions that was allowed to have a reported zoo permit without actually meeting all of the criteria because they wanted to give him the opportunity to meet those criteria,” says Dubois.
To meet these criteria, CrocTalk must be segregated from Canadian Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, or CAZA, which is not currently the case. Massimo Bergamini, executive director of Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, says they haven’t received an application for accreditation yet. However, the institutes have until March 1 to submit their application for the 2015 examination.
However, according to Illman, it made no sense to apply to CAZA as CrocTalk’s current location is not permanent and he wants to move to another location before applying, which puts his application process at the Department of Forests and Lands and Natural Resource Operations to a standstill .
“We just want to get out of this facility and to a bigger place so we can attract more guests, schools and tourists who come here,” he says. “You’d be surprised how many tourists come to Kelowna just because of CrocTalk.”
One new site that Illman is exploring is in Lake Country and currently has a building on site. However, this crocodile lover admits that it could cost up to $ 2.5 million to keep the structure and land open and up to date, and he is hoping for a local philanthropist to come forward to help.
However, the SPCA is also concerned about how long it would take for the building to reach the code, how long it would take to process a CAZA application, and how the animals would fare in the meantime.
This leaves Dubois wondering what will become of the animals, as CrocTalk again asks the public for financial help to cover the costs.
“Basically, he’s asking you (the public) to pay for his animal feed,” says Dubois. “It makes us very nervous because when you can’t afford to feed the animals you have in your care and when you ask the public to help you, it is worrying.”
Illman counteracts this claim by asking how it differs from the SPCA and how they continually raise funds to house, feed, and rehabilitate their animals.
He also admits to knowing about changes to animal permits since 2010 but says he was waiting for a merger with BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops – which would have been a permanent location – but that fell this summer.
“The president of the Kamloops Wildlife Society decided that they wanted to stay (with) native animals and if I wanted to band together I had to collect all donations myself, build the building myself, donate everything for them, donate my animals, no income guarantee for me or my co-workers and it just wouldn’t work. “
CrocTalk hopes to have a permanent location by the end of this year, where either its new Lake Country facility will become a reality or it will be forced to move to the Calgary area where an undisclosed donor has offered an opportunity.
“Moving to Lake Country is still a funding problem. This is where we could use some of these local philanthropists (to help us), ”says Illman.
All of the animals in Illman’s care have recently been screened by nature conservation and the SPCA and have been given a clean health certificate. Croc Talk will still be open to the public, but all crocodile-related animals must be covered up. To donate, please click here.
Photo: Carmen Weld
