Zoo’s beloved crocodile buried

His open-mouthed, tongueless snare fooled no one, but he was a main attraction at the zoo.

He may have seemed to be laid back, his huge body basking in the sun, but that 800-plus body could move with lightning speed.

President of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Gupte Lutchmedial, said while a necropsy had been ordered for the crocodile, who had arrived from the Toronto Metro Zoo in 1975, he may have been older than originally thought.

Crocky was thought to have been ten years old when he was brought.

However, Lutchmedial said under advisement from other colleagues, Crocky could be closer to 70 years old and may have died from old age.

It was reported that Crocky had become slower and was not eating well for over a week.

“After we consulted with other colleagues, it was decided that Crocky died from natural causes so we did not need for veterinarian to come in. He had no wounds or anything on his body and nobody would try to challenge Crocky,” Lutchmedial said.

He said Crocky was sent off by members of staff, including his keepers, Arnold Jupiter and Mark Laurence. He was laid to rest in an underground crypt lined with plastic and plywood.

Lutchmedial said they would attempt to acquire another crocodile to fill Crocky’s space in the near future.