Reptile-lovers who were familiar with Wild Life Sydney’s last croc, Rex (RIP), will be glad to hear that they’ve got a brand new croc to fill the swampy void.
The croc, who is yet to be named, has been transported over 15,000 km from Rockhampton, Queensland to reach his new inner-city home. He’s around 30-to-40 years old (they can’t be sure), 4.2m long, weighs a whopping 365 kilograms and has a light yellow tint – a rare variant from the typical dark hue of a saltwater croc.
He’s spent his last few days settling into his new environment at Wild Life Sydney, with zookeepers keeping a close eye for signs of attitude and personality.
"We’re waiting to name him,” says the Zoo’s senior reptile keeper, Mick Craig. “We don’t want to call him something like ‘Princess’ and then he ends up being really aggressive.”
So far he’s been very active in his pool and has only shown a slight bit of aggression – but perhaps that’s because he’s yet to have a bite to eat...
Or maybe that’s just his natural temperament!
“It’s actually quite normal for crocodiles not to eat for up to five months as they settle into their new environments,” Craig tell us. “When he decides he wants something to eat, he’ll most likely sit up on the rocks with his mouth open.”
Craig says his first meal will probably be something “decent-sized” like a roo or a piglet. He says they made Rex wait three months before he ate his first meal, so the unnamed croc has a fair wait yet.
You can visit the croc at Wild Life Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour. Maybe you’ll even get to name him.