Celebrating Twins - St Lucia's Croc Centre

St Lucia's Croc Centre is a renowned landmark and a “must see” for residents and tourists alike. Spanning approximately 6 hectares of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the Croc Centre is home to the local Nile Crocodile, Alligators, Dwarf Crocodiles, Long Snouted Crocodiles, as well as Gaboon Adders and Southern African Pythons. Serving as a centre for crocodile monitoring and research, the St Lucia Croc Centre offers educational tours, including crocodile feeding for public demonstration every Saturday afternoon at 15h00, Sunday morning at 11h30 and a Wednesday evening feed during the summer months only.

Two older crocodiles which form part of the centre's educational tour

Month-Old Gaboon Adder

Last month the Croc Centre welcomed approximately 350 crocodile hatchlings and over 20 Gaboon Adders into its fold . The young Gaboon Adders (individual pictured right) are approximately one month old and 28cm long. From birth Gaboon Adders (Bitis gabonica) are ready to hunt and, at this age, their venom is strong enough to rapidly kill small toads & rodents and can even cause the hospitilisation of an adult human. The Gaboon Adder is the largest member of the genus Bitis, the world's heaviest viperid, has the longest fangs (approximately 4cm) and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. However, the Gaboon Adder has a reputation for being “slow moving and placid” and will attack by ambush only when provoked or when hunting. Upon striking, this snake can move with lightning speed. Closely related to the Puff Adder, the two species have been known to produce hybrids, one of approximately 1.2m in length having been spotted near Mtubatuba in 1972.

Through its specialist breeding programme, the Croc Centre usually produces 500 baby Nile Crocodiles each year. This year saw approximately 350 baby crocs being born. Once laid, the eggs are safely relocated to the centre's incubator room and left, in conditions simulating the natural environment, to hatch naturally. The baby crocs are fed minced beef, chicken or fish every second day. The Croc Centre sells most of its baby crocodiles to crocodile farmers for breeding purposes, keeping some behind for its own educational and breeding programmes.

Crocodile twins

Among this year's hatchlings are two sets of twins. Although noticeably smaller than their fellow hatchlings, both sets of twins are developing normally. While the birth of twins in crocodiles is fairly common (one or two sets in every thousand), they often don't develop properly, due to having to share the nutrients whilst in the same egg. Because of this, all too often twin crocs don't survive.

Cycad garden

And if prehistoric reptiles aren't enough, the Croc Centre also plays host to a prehistoric plant, the Cycad, in its Cycad Garden. Visitors can walk through the garden at their leisure, enjoying its tranquility whilst learning about these “living fossils” of the plant kingdom.

Finally, visitors can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a generous slice of one of the 'cakes of the day' in the Croc Centre's tea garden. Originally called 'The Zulu and I', the restaurant was initiated and funded by a Monzi resident, Mrs Bride, who, through her passion, contributed significantly in supporting the 'Save St Lucia' campaign. Sadly, what was once a fully fledged restaurant is now only a tea garden with a limited, albeit delicious, menu, waiting to be transformed into the thriving eatery of its heyday.