Nestled deep in the middle of the more than 70,000-hectare Cat
Tien national park is a large freshwater lake that local forest
rangers call Bau Sau (Crocodile Lake). The aptly-named lake is
home to over 100 crocodile species but to see them requires
patience and effort. The local ranger informed us that the best
time to observe the long-tailed, hard-skinned and big-jawed
reptiles are either when dusk is falling or dawn is breaking.
Dawn and dusk are the quiet periods at the lake for the
crocodiles to emerge from the tranquil waters and rest on the
banks which are bordered with grass bushes. However, most trips
to see the crocs are at night when a ranger with a battery-
fueled light accompanies his guests on a trip along the banks of
the lake to protect them and to show tourists where crocodiles
sit onshore at night. When the ranger sees two red spots in the
distance, he will tell his guests to be silent as he moves in
slowly toward the spots that he knows are the eyes of a
crocodile. If luck is on their side,