The Paga Crocodile Pond is a sacred crocodile sanctuary in Paga, the capital of the Kassena-Nankana West District in Ghana's Upper East Region, right on the border with Burkina Faso — famous for the remarkable fact that the crocodiles there are considered totems, not threats, and visitors can touch and even sit on them safely. **Where it is and how you get there.** Paga sits about 170 km north of Tamale and roughly 900 km from Accra, a short drive from the Burkina Faso border post at Paga–Pô. The main pond is the chief one, with a smaller sister pond at nearby Zenga. It's one of the most visited tourist sites in northern Ghana and pairs naturally with the Paga Nania slave-camp heritage site and the border market. **Why the crocodiles are tame.** This is the heart of the story. The people of Paga — the Kasena and Nankani — hold the crocodile as a clan totem, tied to a founding legend of a hunter who was guided or saved by a crocodile, and a pact was struck between the community and the reptiles. Because the crocodiles are never hunted and are ritually fed, they have lost their fear of people and are famously docile. The community treats them as ancestral kin, and harming one is taboo — traditionally a serious offence against the ancestors. **What a visit is like.** A guide leads you to the pond's edge, calls the crocodiles by name, and coaxes them out of the water. You can touch them, pose for photos, and — the classic Paga shot — sit on a crocodile's back while it lies still. The crocodiles are fed on fowls and are said to respond to the names the community gives them. There's a small entrance/guide fee, and tipping the guide is customary. **The sacred rules.** Respect matters here: don't harm or harass the animals, follow the guide's instructions, and don't wander off alone. The pond is a ritual site, not a zoo — sacrifices and offerings are still made at certain times, and the crocodile is bound up with the community's spiritual life. When a crocodile dies, it is traditionally given a burial befitting a member of the clan. **Practical notes.** The best time to visit is the dry season (roughly November to March), when the harmattan is in the air and travel north is easier; the rains (June–September) can make the roads and the border area muddier. Paga is hot year-round, so carry water and a hat. Combine it with the Paga Nania slave camp, the Pikworo slave camp nearby, and the Sirigu painted-houses and basketry village — all within striking distance and all worth the trip. One caution I'll give you honestly: the crocodile population at the ponds has reportedly fluctuated over the years, and exact numbers, fees and opening arrangements can change. If you're planning a specific trip this month, it's worth confirming current details with the Ghana Tourism Authority or a local tour operator before you travel — I don't have a verified figure for today's entry fee or the current count. A fitting Akan thought for a place like this: *"Aboa a onni dua no, Onyame na ɔpra ne ho"* — the animal without a tail, God drives away its flies. At Paga, the crocodile has a whole community for that.