Less than a month after it opened to the public, Dubai Crocodile Park is already thriving, with the recent arrival of 40 hatchlings.
Born in the 20,000-square-metre facility in Mushrif Park, the hatchlings are part of a 250-strong family of Nile crocodiles, one of the largest and most aggressive of their kind, that now call the park home.
Marc Gansuana, 48, the head curator at Dubai Crocodile Park, says the attraction was created to focus on “education and knowledge”.
“You won't get the same experience in zoos anywhere,” he tells The National. “Here, you get to see them up close, watch them interact with each other, feed and sometimes even fight.
“The common knowledge is that these are dangerous predators, which they are. But they are also beautiful animals and only at the park you will really be able to appreciate that, and also understand how they have been able to survive since the time of the dinosaurs.”
Nile crocodiles are native to freshwater habitats in Africa. They can reach a maximum size of about six metres and can weigh as much as 500kg or 600kg. They are also known as one of the most aggressive predators.
Of the 250 crocodiles at Dubai Crocodile Park, 150 are adults, comprising 120 females and 30 males.
About 5,000 square metres of the park is dedicated to the crocodiles, while the venue is also home to a natural history museum, an African lake-themed aquarium and outdoor landscaped areas. The plan is to introduce restaurants soon.
While crocodiles often hibernate during long summers or drought in a process called aestivation, where they go into long period of sleep for months, Gansuana says the park has been built to ensure a comfortable year-round temperature for its inhabitants.
“For the fist time in the world, we have built a cooling system in the water to ensure that despite the UAE summer heat, the crocodiles will still be comfortable in the water,” says the French crocodile specialist, who has been working with the reptiles for the past 25 years.
The park will remain open throughout the summer, he adds.
Feeding hour is four times a week, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, at 5.30pm.
Dubai Crocodile Park is open daily from 10am to 10pm. Tickets cost Dh95 per adult and Dh75 per child. More information is available at dubaicrocodilepark.com
