1980 Press Photo David Blake checks crocodile eggs at a crocodile ranch; Africa

Reptiles - Crocodiles David Blake probed unhatched eggs for answers. The Spencer Creek Crocodile Ranch in Victoria Falls, Rhodesia, has taken the crocodile skin business away from the poacher and turned it into a legal and profitable operation that benefits both businessmen and naturalists. The ranch, one of four in Africa, collects crocodile eggs from river banks and helps them hatch - with a success rate 90% better than in the wild, according to one of the ranchers. Most of the animals are slaughtered for their skin, but many are released in an attempt to boost the endangered crocodile population.

Photo is dated 1980.

Photo measures 7.5 x 10.25 inches.