“At the moment, we have a single male and two
female gharials who have laid eggs a few times;
usually there are about 30 in a clutch.” On June 2,
2016, the first gharial to be bred outside of its
natural range (being the Indian subcontinent and
Nepal) was born at the zoo. ‘Makara’ weighed in at
75g (2.65oz.) and measured 34.4cm (13.5ins.).
Chinese Alligators (Alligator sinensis) have also
been successfully bred at the St. Augustine Farm.
In a joint venture with WCS (Wildlife Conservation
Society), these gators were equipped with radio
transmitters and released into protected habitat in
China.
Then there are the Siamese Crocodiles (Crocodylus
siamensis). This Critically Endangered species has
been extirpated from the vast majority of its natural
range due to habitat degradation and hunting for
skins and to supply commercial crocodile farms. In
fact, it was thought to be possibly extinct in the wild
until discovered in the Cardamom Mountains of
Cambodia in 2000. A number of remnant popula-
tions have also been found in other countries.
“Our pair is steady (laying eggs),” says Jim
Darlington. “They have juveniles from previous
litters living with them and will even take care of the
babies of other types of crocodiles that we’ve snuck
Left: Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
hatchlings.
Above: James Drysdale and Kiersten Wallace
raiding nests for eggs which are removed for artificial
incubation. Images courtesy St. Augustine Alligator
Farm.
into their litter. There is a zoo in Detroit that is slated
to re-introduce this species into the wild.”
Extraordinarily, this pair of Siamese Crocodiles
have been known to dote on a hatchling Chinese
Alligator – perhaps they didn’t notice the difference.
Jim Darlington continues, “We can sell our extra
crocs or loan them out to other approved zoos. For
a transfer, you have to get the animal out of the
water, tape the snout shut, and then tape the animal
to a board to restrain it. Sometimes, this means the
crocodile doesn’t have to be anesthetized to be
transported.”
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm has been a perma-
nent fixture on Florida’s eastern coast for 125 years.
With a dedicated staff and a conservation mindset,
it has blossomed into a full-blown research and
breeding institution. And it still manages to capture
the interest of all who come to visit: whether it’s the
elementary-school youngster ‘petting’ his first Boa
Constrictor; a veterinary student attending to his first
ailing alligator; or an adrenaline junkie sailing along
a zipline high above the gator rookery. Who says
you need roller coasters or fairy-tale princesses to
delight?
Ste. Augustine Alligator Farm, 999 Anastasia Blvd,
Ste. Augustine, FL, United States; tel: (904) 824-
3337;website: www.alligatorfarm.com; info: jbrueg-
[email protected] (general director John
Brueggen) or [email protected]
(general curator Gen Anderson).