TAMPA TRIBUNE (Florida) 02 April 08 Teen's Pet Crocodile Now Basking In Sunny Tampa (Dennis Joyce)
Stepping outside was a new experience for an African Nile crocodile that had spent its first years of life inside a Virginia teen's bedroom.
Adding to the novelty: Those first steps came during a Florida thunderstorm.
"He's probably a little uneasy, a little stressed out," said John Paner, of Croc Encounters Reptile Park & Wildlife Center, near the Florida State Fairgrounds off Interstate 4. "He'd never experienced a change in the weather so it was stressful, and exciting."
The creature, 5 1/2 feet long and an estimated 3 or 4 years old, had been kept as a pet by a teenager in Roanoke, Va., until his mom persuaded him to give it up. It was released at the sanctuary Tuesday afternoon.
The crocodile was doing better this morning, lying on the grass and soaking up sun in its private enclosure, Paner said.
The Nile crocodile is highly territorial, so this one won't share space with the other Nile that the sanctuary counts among its 115 alligators and crocodiles. The biggest of all is a 13-foot American alligator.
In fact, the new crocodile will probably remain isolated for the rest of its life – feeding on dead rodents, fish and chicken pieces – unless a Nile of similar age and temperament shows up.
Life expectancy for such a creature is 35 to 40 years in the wild, double that in captivity, so Croc Encounters sees few creatures leave because of death or illness.
But the sanctuary has plenty of room to grow, Paner said, making use of only a fraction of its 22 acres now. It advertises, "We accept all unwanted crocodilians."
Croc Encounters, on the Internet at www.crocencounters.org, loans smaller creatures to zoos and other institutions and has programs for the public. Last week, a History Channel crew spent the day there working on a 13-part series about evolution.
One California woman who sent a pet to the sanctuary more than two years ago still provides money for its upkeep, Paner said, as do many people forced to part with the scaly creatures.
The new croc, he added, seems to have been well cared for in Roanoke, even if he never did make it outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine of western Virginia's mountain country.
"That was one of our biggest fears – that he would really freak out being outside. But he did really well, and went right into the pond."
Still, Paner advises against taking on a crocodile or alligator as a pet, even in the manageable hatchling phase.
"A big crocodilian is definitely a dangerous animal, not a suitable pet," he said. "We rarely get called about hatchlings. But you really have to think ahead about what you're getting into."
Teen's Pet Crocodile Now Basking In Sunny Tampa