Crocodiles of the World

Hi hi I am Lisa, Julie and Wayne’s daughter in law and I have just come back from my own little educational research trip. I took along my thirteen and eleven year old sons, a small focus group for the intended market group if you will. They are Julie and Wayne’s grandsons and their son who is my husband Adam got to tag along too. The aim of the trip was second World War history, but we made a little detour and made our first stop somewhere very early on the evolutionary scale and checked out some crocodiles.

We visited Crocodiles of the World in Oxfordshire, it is the only reptile only zoo in the UK and is currently home to more than 150 crocodiles, representing 19 of the 24 different species including crocodiles, alligators and caimans, as well as other reptiles. That's a lot of crocs! The zoo is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation of these animals and are eager to share their passion with visitors whom they want to inspire to respect and understand the often very misunderstood and ill-famed crocodiles. All while promoting awareness of the environmental issues affecting crocodiles and what humans need to do to protect the world's biodiversity. I must admit that the thought of crocodiles and reptiles in general sends shivers down my spine. It was time for me to change my mindset and perception of reptiles. The boys were so excited they could barely sit still on the way there. I must mention that the zoo is also home to a few species of mammals which sadly were all cuddled up in their burrows and huts hiding from the rain when we visited. We can’t blame them as it was the perfect day to cozy up but the meerkats were out and about, too busy and curious to let a little rain stop them from meeting visitors.

It was an unseasonably wet and grey day in July when we arrived at Crocodiles of the World. We were dressed for autumn and watched with admiration mixed with bewilderment as our soon to be fellow zoo visitors piled in through the front door dressed only in shorts and tank tops. That bewilderment soon changed to envy as the hot and damp tropical air hit us, we didn't dwell on that because as soon as we emerged through the front door there were tortoises, crocodiles and snakes that caught our attention. They were everywhere you looked, some were completely still and looked like they were made of plastic and the boys were sure they were about to uncover a scam where fake crocs were on display. But rest assured, the crocks were very much alive and real, their gaze followed our every move. We soon learned that this is how reptiles rest and cool down. One eye is always open which allows them to stay connected to the awake side of their brain so they can immediately respond to threats or pray. They knew we were there long before we spotted them through the extremely thick glass between us. It's magnificent how ancient and frightful they are and it's hard not to feel like you've stepped back to the time of dinosaurs. Did you know that modern crocodiles and alligators haven’t changed that much from their ancient ancestors which means that crocs and gators you see today existed alongside dinosaurs. Dates too far back for us to wrap our heads around it.

We made our way quietly and inquisitively past the stationary and menace looking crocs and alligators who were as we now knew were definitely not fake when we found ourselves above saltwater crocodile enclosure. They were big and lay there basking in the heat from their warm heat lamps when suddenly there was a big splash followed with a loud gnarl and hissing from underneath us. To say I jumped out of my skin is an understatement, anything to give the kids a good laugh, right?

Highlight of the visit was when the Nile Crocodiles were fed a little snack of chicken wings and a mouse! Wow! The power of the loud smacking snap of their mouths, and how they jumped out of the water to catch the snack dangling above them was truly terrifying and fascinating. We were glad to be at a safe distance. We learned from the keeper that crocodiles in the wild do not jump up as there is nothing for them to hunt in the sky but it works for them in a zoo when snatching a tasty snack dangled over them by a keeper. How is that for adaptation! This was the only keeper talk we went to but there are many throughout the day, where guests can learn more about the animals and many aspects of biology, physiology, habitats, adaptations, evolution, ecology and behaviour.

Crocodiles of the World Zoo offers a fun and educational experience for young and old and I must tell you that we had only just put our seatbelts on when leaving the zoo when two tired but excited voices from the back sang: "When can we back?". If that isn't a sign of a good time, I don't know what is. So whether you're looking for a family day-out, unique keeper experiences, school trip or group visit. A visit to Crocodiles of the World absolutely makes a memorable day.