Like many reptile species, a crocodile’s activity levels and food requirements drop as the temperature does, allowing them to conserve energy.
Perth Zoo’s dedicated animal carers work hard to replicate these natural feeding patterns, emulating a wild lifestyle for the 45-year-old crocodile. That’s why during the cooler months, he doesn’t need much food but feasts during these warm summer months.
Weighing in at a whopping 400kg and stretching out to more than 4.2metres long, Dangalabba will devour around 5kg of meat per meal!
To encourage natural behavior and exercise to flex his croc muscles, keepers provide him with the opportunity to launch out of the water and snap up his ‘prey’.
Lucky visitors can catch Dangalabba in action every Sunday at 12pm as part of the Zoo’s free
Keeper Talk.
Remarkably, crocodiles have a heartening conservation story. While once a threatened species, protective legislation introduced in the 1970s enabled numbers to be replenished, and now the conservation status is considered Least Concern.
As a popular animal here at Perth Zoo, Dangalabba helps to educate and inspire the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come through our gates every year. Dangalabba is a rescue crocodile who has lived at a crocodile farm in Broome for many years after being removed from Darwin Harbour by wildlife officers who were concerned about public safety.
His story is a good reminder for people to always be CrocWise when travelling in croc country, particularly in WA’s North West.
And Dangalabba isn’t the only one making the most of warmer weather! Perth Zoo stays up late every Saturday in January until 7:30pm. Visitors to Summer Sundowners can enjoy extra time to see their animal friends, a snack or a drink at our new café precinct and kick back and enjoy the beautiful balmy evening with acoustic tunes on the main lawn.