FIGHT TO THE DEATH
ALLIGATOR AND CROCODILE.
NIGHT ATTACK IN ZOO.
“GEORGE” AND HIS VICTIMS.
“George,” the ninety-year-old Mississippi alligator at the London Zoo, who has the distinction of being the largest inhabitant of the crocodile pool in the new Reptile House has celebrated the centenary of the society by adding a third name to his list of victims. “George” has had a singularly chequered career. In the old Reptile House he shared the central pool with two other slightly smaller companions of the same species and a crocodile cousin.from the Old World. For several years they all lived together in comparative harmony, each had his own special corner of the pond. With the coming of old age, however, “George’s” temper became increasingly uncertain, and after a few preliminary rounds he “polished off” his smaller brethren, and as a result was condemned to solitary confinement soon after he was transferred to the new house. In the meantime cousin crocodile had also developed a hasty temper, and had succeeded in inflicting severe wounds on some other smaller fry who shared his pool. The upshot of this was that, space being limited, he was put in with “George,” as he was considered able to look after himself. The wily old “George,” however, proved too much for him, and he met the same fate as the other two, with the result that "George” once more reigns alone and supreme. No one has ever actuality seen the way in which “George” manages to vanquish his foes, as his deadly attacks are always made during the night. His victory over the crocodile was undoubtedly due to his superior weight, as his adversary was by far the more agile of the two, and had a better set of teeth.
The last time “George” “weighed-in,” which was when he was moved to the new house in 1927, he turned the scale at 3cwt. His latest victim weighed considerably less than this.
In this respect large reptiles are deceptive for to the eye they appear to weigh much more than they really do. It is surprising to find, for instance, that the largest of the Zoo’s pythons, measuring over 20ft in length, only Weighs a little more than lewt. In the alligators and crocodiles the weight ■is mainly in the tail, which is a muscular organ of extreme strength, and is used by the animal both in defence and attack.
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Bibliographic details
Southland Times, Issue 20834, 24 July 1929, Page 6
Word Count
402FIGHT TO THE DEATH Southland Times, Issue 20834, 24 July 1929, Page 6
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