Located in the north-eastern border of Ghana (Africa) in the small village of Paga, you will find 100s of deadly crocodiles in a local pond. But it is only in this part of the world that you will find a land in which people and crocodiles live in peace together. Not a single villager has ever been harmed by one of these friendly reptiles.
The locals believe the souls of their relatives live within the crocodiles, as it is quite common that deaths of villagers coincide with deaths of crocodiles. It is believed that everyone in the village has a corresponding crocodile in the pond. Because of this belief, the animals are respected, never hurt and certainly never killed. It appears the crocodiles feel the same as they never harm the villagers. These relationship baffles the minds of outsiders, but to the locals, it's just normal.
It is not uncommon to find children and visitor sitting on the backs or even holding the tales of crocodiles. It's become quite the popular tourist destination in Ghana. Millions of people travel to this area to enjoy this amazing relationship of man and beast :). They do utilize trained guides who whistle to attract the crocodiles out of the water. The crocodiles are then rewarded with live chickens. It is at this point visitors are allowed to pet them, kiss them or even sit on their backs (I would still recommend caution :) ). It's a true mystery. It is believed that the crocodiles are calm and relaxed as they are well fed with plenty of chickens from the locals. Whatever the reason, they have found a balance to share this land together in peace.
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