Published 11:43 IST, September 4th 2024
Meet the World's Oldest Crocodile Henry: A 123-year-old with 6 Wives and 10,000 Babies
Henry is a 16-foot-long, 700 kg giant crocodile, and he holds the title of the world's oldest crocodile.
Henry is a 16-foot-long, 700 kg giant crocodile, and he holds the title of the world's oldest crocodile.
This man-eating giant is 123 years old and is the father of 10,000 babies, with six ‘wives,’ according to the zoo where he currently resides.
According to a leading English daily, Henry was born on December 16, 1900, in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Henry is also believed to be the largest crocodile in the world, measuring as long as a minibus. His intimidating features include fang-like teeth and a massive frame.
In the early 1900s, local tribes in Botswana feared that Henry was preying on human children. In response to the escalating threat, the tribes sought a resolution from Sir Henry Neuman, after whom the crocodile was named. Sir Neuman decided to capture Henry and provide him with a lifetime of care.
For the past three decades, Henry has been residing at the Crocworld Conservation Centre in Scottburgh, South Africa. He now attracts thousands of visitors to the zoo due to his enormous size and impressive age.
Henry belongs to the family of Nile crocodiles, which are found in 26 countries across the Sub-Saharan Africa. They live in varied aquatic environments like lakes, rivers, swamps and marshlands and are behind thousands of deaths in the region.
Updated 11:43 IST, September 4th 2024