[encore]Africa’s Great Savannah------Nile Crocodiles; Their Unknown Wisdom and Affection
Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park is famous for its vast expanse of grassland, Savannah. This episode’s protagonists are the large crocodiles live in the river that runs through the grassland. River Grumeti is the longest stream in Serengeti. It never gets dried out all through the year, but the width of the river gets narrow during the dry season. Nile crocodiles congregate at particular area of the river where water is abundant. Large Nile crocs can be as long as 6 meters. They are certainly the world’s largest crocs. They ambush underwater to watch for a chance to attack herbivores such as zebras that come to the river to drink. One large herbivore would supply a large chunk of meat, but the opportunity to hunt such large animal is scarce. Crocs normally feed on small preys easily available in the river. Once they capture a large animal, they bite the body of the prey, and spin them fiercely to tear them off. This behaviour is called “Death Roll”, and it looks absolutely ferocious, but if you take a closer look, you will learn that they are helping each other and ultimately to share the bounty.
Other aspect of their nature can be seen while they are nursing their offspring. Reptiles normally just leave their eggs without taking care of them afterwards. However, as Nile croc mothers stay by eggs after they bury them underground. Size of a clutch can be more than ten or so. When the first few eggs are hutched and appear on the surface of the ground, mother would dig out other almost-ready-to-hutch eggs to break shells in her mouth. It is to hutch them all at once to carry them to safer area. For a couple of month, mother would stay attentive to her offspring to protect them from predators. Our film crew succeeded in filming rare behaviour of attentive croc mother.
At Grumeti River full of spectacle of wildlife, Nile crocodiles survive with their wise and affectionate behaviour.
