Yamoussoukro Presidential Crocodiles

Yamoussoukro is the political capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the birthplace of founding president Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Around the artificial lake surrounding the Presidential Palace lives a famous colony of sacred crocodiles, introduced by the president and long fed by a dedicated keeper in a ritual that drew visitors from around the world. Seen as guardians of the palace and tied to local spiritual traditions, the Yamoussoukro crocodiles have become one of the city's most recognizable symbols, a living emblem beside the palace and the monumental Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.