nocturnal vision, and must rely on its
olfactory apparatus to detect prey.
But make no mistake, the giant
monitor can hone in on a dead or
dying animal nearly 9.7km (6 miles)
away with its insanely keen sense of
smell. Called ‘buaya darat’ (or land
crocodile) by the peoples of the
Lesser Sunda chain of islands in
Indonesia, the Komodo Dragon is
listed as vulnerable by the IUCN,
but wild populations are now
protected in a national park.
Next, it’s time to visit the Nile
Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)
which are on public display in their
own eponymous exhibit, ‘Oasis on
the Nile’, which just opened this past
March. The second-largest living
crocodilian, Nile Crocodiles are
responsible for hundreds of attacks
on humans (and many fatalities)
every year in their native Africa. They have also
become one of the latest invasive species to
colonise south Florida, although there is not yet
proof that they are breeding in the wild. The
specimens at St. Augustine arrived safely secured
in the cargo hold of a regular Delta passenger flight
after crossing the Atlantic. In spite of being diverted
to Atlanta during their journey, thanks to Hurricane
Irma, John Brueggan, director of the Alligator Farm,
Left: keeper Kiersten Wallace hands out another
‘rat snack’.
Above top: the albino alligators are kept in a shaded
area near the entrance to protect them from strong
light.
Above: adult American Alligators comprise six to
eight hundred pounds of pure muscle, with one third
of the body weight concentrated in the formidable
tail. Images courtesy Vickie Lillo.