In what is believed to be a mysterious turn of events, three crocodiles have taken over the palace of a paramount chief of the Basare Traditional Area in the Zabzugu/Tatale District of the Northern Region (name withheld), after forcing him out of his residence. According to residents of the town" the crocodiles moved to the palace in 'protest' against alleged maltreatment by the chief, who had allegedly leased the dam in which the animals dwelt to fishermen from a nearby village. The fishermen, the residents explained, had failed to catch enough fish from the Tatale Dam on many occasions and in their desperation to make up for what they had allegedly paid the chief, killed about 10 crocodiles and consumed their meat. The residents said the action of the fishermen 'angered' the remaining crocodiles and that might be the reason for the three crocodiles taking over the chief's palace that night. Other crocodiles were said to have abandoned the dam and sought refuge in nearby bushes, A source close to the palace told The Mirror that from about June 11 to 13, the crocodiles lay in the palace, forcing the chief and family members to abandon the palace. . News of the new palace dwellers quickly spread through the town, compelling the residents to rush to the scene. "I was shocked; I could not believe my eyes because it seemed impossible for crocodiles to move from the dam to a residence' even under provocation," a resident stated. Some other residents were of the view that the crocodiles might not be ordinary ones, but rather spiritual beings that had c{)me to caution the chief to be wary of his activities. The Tatale Dam is about 500 metres away from the palace and it is estimated that more than 50 crocodiles reside in it. Apart from fetching water for domestic purposes, Basare customs prohibit fishing and swimming in the dam and for that reason, the crocodiles have remained friendly. A palace source indicated that efforts were being made to pacify the gods and calm the crocodiles. He said since the commencement of the raining season, there had not been any rain in the community and that had angered the youth of the town, who nearly lynched the chief, blaming him' for incurring the wrath of the gods. At the time of filing this report, the three crocodiles had vanished from the palace. In a telephone interview, the chief denied the incident and said he left Tatale on June 27 to attend his father's funeral in Kumasi. He also denied any links with the fishermen and said that he would consult his elders to find out what happened to the crocodiles. "The fishermen brought the crocodiles to my house or what?" he asked this reporter, and added, "Please, I have never heard about this thing." "I will consult my elders and see," the chief further stated, and gave the assurance the crocodiles were safe in the dam, adding that no one was still permitted to fish in the dam. Source: The Mirror