How Old This Captive Crocodile Was Remains A Mystery After His Death, But He Was Believed To Be 120
The world’s largest captive saltwater crocodile has died in Australia after his health began to decline in mid-October. The 18-foot-long crocodile was named Cassius.
Experts believe that he may have been up to 120-years-old when he died, which is well beyond the lifespan of his wild relatives. They hope to be able to determine his exact age.
Cassius had lived at Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat on Australia’s Green Island since 1987. He was captured in the Finniss River in northern Australia in 1984 because his aggressive behavior was causing problems, from eating cattle to attacking boat propellers.
This was most likely how he lost his front left leg, part of his snout, and six inches off the end of his tail. At the time of his capture, he was between 30 and 80-years-old. During his life, Cassius received the Guinness World Record as the largest crocodile living in captivity.
The cause of his death was deemed as old age. But he started to decline shortly after his former keeper, 94-year-old George Craig, left the island and retired to an assisted living home. They had shared a close bond, and Cassius would get excited whenever he saw Craig.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mate Cassius,” wrote the Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat and Gift Shop.
“He was more than just a crocodile, he was a cherished member of our family and brought joy and companionship to his best mate George for over 37 years.”
No one knows how old Cassius really is. His keepers even made up a birthday for him. The zoo celebrated Cassius’ 120th birthday last year, but the number was just an estimate. In the wild, the average lifespan of his species, Crocodylus porosus, is about 70 years.
It’s hard to tell a crocodile’s age because their growth rate slows down once they reach adulthood. But an animal autopsy might finally reveal his true age.
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Researchers will now analyze a sample of the crocodile’s femur bone to count the rings that formed within it.
The growth rings are similar to the ones in trees, but the croc’s may not be as easy to count. They also might not give an accurate age since the animals stop growing and can continue living for years without growing, according to Grahame Webb, one of the crocodile researchers who helped capture Cassius.
When he died, Cassius was almost 18 feet long. However, he was missing sections of his snout and tail, so he might have been even bigger if he had those body parts. His species can grow more than 23 feet long.
In 2011, Cassius lost the title of the world’s largest crocodile in captivity to a 20-foot saltwater crocodile named Lolong, who was caught in the Philippines. Lolong died from an infection in 2013, returning the crown to Cassius.
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