The auction commenced on March 10 and is set to continue until May 9. Crocodiles are regarded as extremely valuable creatures, as their various parts are utilized in more than 100 different products, such as leather items, meat, health supplements, cosmetics, and even wine.
A court in China has initiated a distinctive online auction featuring 100 tons of live crocodiles, with a starting price of four million yuan (approximately US$550,000). Buyers are required to collect the animals in person. This auction, listed on Alibaba’s Judicial Auction Platform by the Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Court, has garnered significant attention on social media.
These crocodiles are part of the assets of Guangdong Hongyi Crocodile Industry Company, which was founded in 2005 by Mo Junrong, who was once referred to as China’s “Crocodile God.” After the company defaulted on its financial obligations, the court decided to liquidate its assets, which included a substantial number of reptiles.
The auction commenced on March 10 and is set to run until May 9.
As of the most recent update, over 4,000 individuals had viewed the auction page on Alibaba’s Judicial Auction Platform, yet no one had registered to place a bid. The crocodiles were previously owned by Guangdong Hongyi Crocodile Industry Company, established by Mo Junrong.
Mo, once known as the “Crocodile God,” lost ownership of the crocodiles following his company’s financial default, prompting the court to proceed with the liquidation of the company’s assets, including the live crocodiles.
Earlier this year, the court attempted two separate auctions in January and February, starting at five million yuan and four million yuan, respectively, but neither attracted any buyers. The current online auction has since become a source of entertainment on Chinese social media.
In a similarly unusual case last September, the Dafeng District People’s Court in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, auctioned a bottle of Sprite that had belonged to a bankrupt millionaire. Although typically priced at six yuan (about 80 US cents), the starting bid was set at 4.2 yuan, leading to online discussions regarding the potential misuse of judicial resources.
