THE SUN (Lagos, Nigeria) 06 May 06 Crocodile in search of lover (Uche Anagu)
Call her Lucy. She is a pretty, mature female crocodile who has lived for 15 months with her owner without a suitable male companion. Though it is unlady-like for Lucy to come public and solicit for a lover but she is doing it to please her owner, Prince Joseph Obi, who now wants her to mate and make babies.
Prince, a Data Processing graduate from University of Lagos, has big plans for her. He wants her to have off-springs and make him a proud owner of a big crocodile farm in Lagos.
So, dear esteemed reader, if you have an eligible, gentle, charming male crocodile, don’t hesitate to contact Lucy through the e-mail address of the writer of this story who is acting as a go-between and match-maker. Please, pass the message around. Lovely Lucy is actually love-sick. She sits in her aquatic mini zoo in the outskirts of Lagos and daydream of being cuddled by a gentle, giant male.
Lucy’s dossier
She was living in the wild with her mum in a swampy neighbourhood until a kind-hearted hunter took a liking to her and picked her up. The hunter, Sonny used to work for Prince in his poultry farm. A professional hunter, he went hunting one night and chanced upon Lucy, her mum and other siblings.
Bang…bang…bang! Sonny fired at the family. Lucy’s mum was hit. Being an old warrior, she braved the odds and dashed into a nearby swamp.
Others also escaped the fury of Sonny’s gunfire. But not Lucy. She wasn’t hurt though. The loud shattering bang of Sonny’s gun rooted her to the spot. Sonny just picked her and took her home. Not a carnivore and too busy to take good care of her, Sonny sold Lucy to his master, Prince. No hard feelings, Lucy told Saturday Sun she has forgiven Sonny, the hunter for doing away with her like a common slave.
Vital statistics
Lucy is a long, slim healthy reptile with smooth but tough scales. She has an even temperament but human beings are advised to keep away from her.
Security
To ensure her safety and the safety of people who troop in to see her, Prince is building a fortified aquatic nest for her. “People can look at it but shouldn’t touch”, Prince advised.
Deadly habit
She is not like dog or pussy cat that loves to be stroked or caressed. She resents being touched with foreign objects like hand, stick and iron rod. When she was a little baby croc, Prince once touched her quick sharp mouth and was lucky to go away with a small cut.
Feeding
Lucy has large appetite for rats, lizards, birds and chicken. Prince gives her chicken as a bonus when he is very pleased with her. This is not a problem because Lucy’s new home is in the middle of a poultry farm which belongs to Prince.
Commercial instinct
Prince, Lucy’s owner has a sharp commercial instinct. Besides dreaming of creating a large crocodile farm, he wants to also make money by selling Lucy’s babies. But Lucy can’t have a baby or babies without an appropriate male around her. But Prince and Lucy differ in the matter. While he is thinking of making money, she is genuinely yearning for a lover to make her feel fulfilled. Anyway, Lucy deep down knows that Prince deserves a little peck for his kind effort
Crocodile in search of lover