China auctions 100 tons of live crocodiles — no delivery included

The reptiles were previously owned by Guangdong Hongyi Crocodile Industry Company, a business founded in 2005 by Mo Junrong.

By: Express Web Desk
April 7, 2025 01:57 PM IST

3 min read

A single Siamese crocodile typically weighs between 200 and 500 kilograms, meaning the 100-ton lot could include anywhere from 200 to 500 individual animals. (Wikimedia Commons photo/ Representational)

A Chinese court has launched an unusual online auction, offering 100 tons of live crocodiles for four million yuan (US$550,000), with a strict condition — buyers must pick them up in person. The bizarre sale gained wide attention across social media after the Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Court listed the crocodiles on Alibaba’s Judicial Auction Platform.

The reptiles were previously owned by Guangdong Hongyi Crocodile Industry Company, a business founded in 2005 by Mo Junrong — once nicknamed China’s “Crocodile God”. The company defaulted on its financial obligations, prompting the court to liquidate its assets, including the massive consignment of reptiles.

The auction officially began on March 10 and will run until May 9.

Crocodiles: A profitable industry

Crocodiles are seen as highly profitable in China, where they are used in over 100 products ranging from leather and meat to cosmetics, wine, and health tonics. The reptiles listed in the auction are Siamese crocodiles — a species that has been approved for commercial farming and trade in China since 2003.

A single Siamese crocodile typically weighs between 200 and 500 kilograms, meaning the 100-ton lot could include anywhere from 200 to 500 individual animals.

Also Read: | The biggest reptile is around 6 times larger than an average human being

But it’s not just the price that’s raising eyebrows. Under the auction terms, prospective buyers must bear all costs of collection — including capturing, weighing, loading, and transporting the crocodiles themselves. They must also possess a valid artificial breeding licence for aquatic wildlife and have proper facilities and transport capabilities. Failing to meet these requirements after winning the bid will result in forfeiture of a 300,000 yuan (US$41,000) down payment, as per South China Morning Post.

The third auction attempt

So far, over 4,000 people have visited the auction page, but none have registered to bid. This is the court’s third attempt at auctioning off the crocodiles. Previous efforts in January and February — at starting prices of five million and four million yuan respectively — failed to attract any bidders.

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The listing has sparked amusement online, with one user commenting, “It is so scary. I wonder who will actually buy them?” Another comment read, “This is not for an ordinary person. You will need a whole industry to handle them.”

The auction has drawn comparisons to other quirky judicial sales, such as a 2023 case where a court in Jiangsu province auctioned off a bottle of Sprite owned by a bankrupt millionaire, starting at just 4.2 yuan.

(With inputs from South China Morning Post)

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