Oldest crocodile at Dehiwala zoo dies

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

The oldest crocodile at the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala, named Cuban, who lived in the zoo, died yesterday, Zoo’s Director General Thilak Premakantha said. He said that the crocodile was received by the Zoological Gardens in 1970.

“The crocodile was handed over to the zoo by a local person who used to take care of it while keeping it in a house.   

“It was reported that the crocodile was brought to the country from Cuba,” he said.   

However, the owner of the crocodile had handed it over to the Zoological Gardens. It had lived up to its maximum age limit when it died, the director general said.   

This crocodile species (Crocodylus rhombifer) is a small-medium species of crocodile endemic to Cuba.    The length is 2.1–2.3 m (6.9–7.5 ft) and the typical weight is 70–80 kg Large males can reach as much as 3.5 m in length and weigh more than 215 kg.   

Despite its smaller size, it is a highly aggressive animal, and potentially dangerous to humans.