King Croc now has a lineage

King Croc and his companion are now one of the most-visited attractions at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Dubai — Heavy dark croc eggs finally hatched amidst much excitement and anticipation.

The first baby croc thus arrived at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo at The Dubai Mall. King Croc, one of the world’s largest reptiles and an example of Mother Nature’s rarities, with Queen Croc, his companion for over 20 years, are now proud parents, with more baby crocs expected to join the family in the next couple of days.

Remarkably, Queen Croc, who is more than 80 years old, demonstrated nest building behaviour at precisely the same time as the wild crocodiles in Australia. She laid 59 eggs, and the long 90-day incubation process finally came to an end, even as her extraordinary partner, King Croc eagerly anticipated the arrival of their little ones. For the last 20 years King has been a dedicated partner, showing little interest in any other female crocodiles.

The birth at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo means that King Croc’s genes are now passed down to these special animals.

Over the incubation period, many of Queen Croc’s eggs stopped developing at various stages and only 25 remain in the incubators at this point. This is simply due to her old age and decreasing reproductive capability.

reporters@khaleejtime.com