PS: Because I was studying in Australia, I was fortunate to be an intern in the Australian Reptile Park on the central coast of North Sydney, responsible for the daily management of amphibians and reptiles. Here are some stories to share with you.
Clever crocodile
In the artificial lake of Australian Reptile Park, many adult Mihe crocodiles are kept. Mississippi alligator is an alligator in the southern States of the United States, and it is the largest member of the crocodile family. The large male alligator can reach 4.6 meters in length and weigh 453 kilograms, and its broad and heavy jaw can easily crush the hard turtle shell (a breeder once put a plastic kettle into the alligator's big mouth playfully, and the bottom of the kettle was bitten by the whole body). However, these fierce reptiles have extremely high IQ. In the wild, they even use branches to trap nesting waterfowl. In a captive environment, the intelligence and wit of the Mihe crocodile are also amazing.
The artificial lake has a vast water area and dense plants grow around the shore, which is very suitable for the restoration of the original ecological environment and animal welfare.
Every Mihe crocodile in the exhibition area has its own name. When feeding, whenever the breeder calls the crocodile's name, the called crocodile will automatically climb out of the water and come to the breeder with its big mouth open, expecting to be fed, while the unnamed crocodile will quietly soak in the water most of the time, waiting for its turn to eat. This scene is like the hero of Jurassic World taming the Raptors.
However, once, when the teacher gave a performance to feed crocodiles to tourists, a thrilling accident happened. At that time, he called two crocodiles ashore in a bucket full of food and fed them with his bare hands in front of tourists. Unexpectedly, the third crocodile, who couldn't wait, had crept ashore from behind and approached quietly, wanting a piece of the action. At this time, my teacher didn't notice the crocodile behind him. While continuing to perform, she slowly retreated and almost stepped on it. At this time, the teacher heard a hissing jet from behind and immediately felt a heavy blow to the knee of one leg! The crocodile behind him bit him fiercely, but immediately let go, without causing serious harm to him. Although the crocodile only gave him a small warning because he was too close, the teacher immediately stopped the performance and left the exhibition area. Afterwards, he said that if it was Elvis Presley who bit him (Elvis Presley (the adult male crocodile mentioned in Australia's First Bomb), then he shouldn't be here now.
Because the Mihe crocodile in the artificial lake is a hybrid, the crocodile will naturally reproduce every estrus. The park can accommodate a limited number of crocodiles, and the hatched young crocodiles can easily cross the lake. In order to prevent crocodiles from escaping from barbed wire into the wild, whenever a female crocodile lays eggs, the breeder needs to enter the exhibition area and take out the crocodile eggs.
This job is not as simple as it sounds. Female crocodiles protecting their eggs will attack any moving object that tries to get close to their children. 2-3 people must join hands to jump on the back of the female crocodile and firmly control it, so that other staff can safely collect crocodile eggs. Sometimes, the noise will attract other curious crocodiles in the artificial lake to watch, so a keeper is needed to keep watch behind him to prevent those crocodiles from getting too close. The crocodile eggs taken out will be selectively artificially hatched to supplement the number of crocodiles in the park or sold to other zoos. Because the sex of crocodiles is determined by the incubation temperature, even the sex ratio of young crocodiles is easy to control artificially.
The picture shows a female crocodile crawling ashore from the water, and her swollen abdomen shows that she is looking for a suitable place to nest and lay eggs. My teacher recognized the crocodile that bit him during the performance. Image from the author)
The hatched crocodiles will be kept in the crocodile "nursery" in the background, and will not be placed in the indoor exhibition area to meet tourists until they are about one meter long.
One of the small Mihe crocodiles is very docile, and the staff can pick it up from the pool like a well-educated pet dog, and even take it out of the exhibition area to take photos with tourists. On the other hand, this crocodile is never angry or afraid, let alone attacking people.
It turned out that this crocodile was accustomed to the existence of human beings because it was naturally docile and had frequent close contact with its breeders since childhood, and lost its natural aggression and alertness. When it is too big to take photos with tourists, crocodiles will be kept alone. Because once involved in the same kind, because the territory will lead to conflict, docile it is likely to be at a loss, seriously injured or even killed by other crocodiles.
(The picture shows the young crocodile in the background crocodile "nursery". Image from the author)
(Author: Hu Kai, freelance writer of animal and plant science, amphibian and reptile lover, original works, please indicate that knowledge is power, official account of WeChat)
Editor: Yao Di
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