Tanghin-Dassouri: Primary and secondary school students from the commune of Tanghin-Dassouri visited the sacred crocodile pond of Bazoul© on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as part of Burkinabe Heritage Month. The Special Delegation of the rural commune organized this educational immersion for the benefit of the students.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this initiative by the municipal delegation is part of Burkinabe Heritage Month established by national authorities. The students, from several primary and secondary schools in the commune, began their immersion with the Bazoul© canton chief, Naaba Kiiba. In front of the customary authority, the students sang the national anthem in the Moor© language and discussed the history of the village and the traditional chiefdom.
The students visited the Bazoul© museum before heading to the emblematic site of the sacred crocodile pond. There, the tour guides introduced them to the crocodiles, which are considered harmless and which, according to tradition, come out of the water at the simple cry of a chicken. Some students overcame their fears to approach the reptiles, or even sit on them.
Naaba Kiiba, who has reigned for 49 years, answered questions from the students, who were eager to learn more about their local heritage. The first vice-president of the special municipal delegation, El Hadj Boureima Belemnaba, praised the interest shown by the students. “This contributes to their education and raises their awareness of the cultural richness of their community,” said Mr. Belemnaba.
For Abdoul Diapa Ou©draogo, a student in his final year at the Tanghin-Dassouri Departmental High School, the outing helped strengthen his attachment to local cultural values. “This immersion instilled in us the importance of focusing more on our heritage,” he said. Anissa Ou©draogo, a student from Saint Michel School, shared her experience, saying, “At first, I was afraid, but afterward, I wasn’t afraid anymore.”
According to legend, the sacred crocodiles of Bazoul© appeared with the rain around 570 years ago during a time of drought. The inhabitants discovered burrows filled with water, inhabited by these harmless crocodiles, which have since become the totem of the village. Every year, locals hold a festival in the crocodiles’ honor, and when a crocodile dies, it is buried like a human being. On the festival day, visitors bring offerings, often chickens, to seek the crocodiles’ blessings.