AsiaXPAT (Hong Kong) - Ever purchased a crocodile skin bag or shoes at one of HK's many luxury retail shops?
Dared to try a dish containing crocodile meat?
If so then the odds are the crocodile was a product of William Belo's crocodile farm in the Philippines.
Belo, founder of home-improvement chain Wilcon Depot, started his crocodile farm in 1989 in Palawan. Initially he started the venture as a chicken egg operation but faced with aging chickens that were no longer laying, he purchased some crocodiles and began feeding the chickens to them.
One thing lead to another and the crocodile farm quickly outgrew the chicken farm and now Belos supplies fine crocodile skins to the likes of LVMH and other luxury goods manufacturers.