Australian narrow-nosed crocodile. freshwater crocodile

Our travel time was coming to an end. From Cape York, we had to drive to Cairns, where we had to hand over our faithful Cornmaker, and then fly to the city of Darwin, from which the journey home through Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already began.
On the way to the cape, we spotted a park sign Lakefield and that was the last big park on our way before the city cooktown.

Leaving the campsite, we turned at the sign Lakefield away from the main road and went deep into the park.
The route along which we had to go to visit all the points was developed by Dasha.
Therefore, when she said that it was necessary to turn right, Valera turned, almost knocking down the already familiar Road Closed sign.

We passed the old telegraph road, so the sign "Road Closed" could not be an obstacle in our way.
Having traveled around it on the move, almost putting the car on 2 wheels, we went deep into the thicket of a humid forest.

After 15 kilometers, the road went under water: there was a rather wide river in front of us ...
Valera, entrusted me, as an experienced specialist, with forcing the river, turned off the engine and unwound a piece toilet paper went to explore the ford.
After a while, he returned without having his face on.

What happened?
-Crocodile! There, a live crocodile and he tried to attack me!

Apparently we were dealing with a male whose territory was violated by Borracho.
In addition, he threw the bull right on the head of the crocodile, thinking that it was some kind of rotten log in the water.
The crocodile jumped to the ground and Valera had to urgently retreat ...

We took our cameras with us and quietly walked to that place.
That's it - the crocodile has disappeared. Here's the bad luck...
We crossed the river and, anticipating a big game due to the fact that we invaded a closed territory, moved to the lake low lake.

It was 3 km from the overgrown road.
Silence.
Literally 50 meters from the parking lot, long abandoned and not visited by tourists, the surface of the lake, overgrown with lilies and lotuses, turned black.
Flocks of waterfowl (waders, ducks, etc.) made noise at our appearance.
Otherwise, there was solemn silence.

There was a smell of mint, and if not for the warning sign “Achtung!!! Crocodiles!!!, one might have thought that we were in the reserved Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Let's go further.
After a few kilometers, the road snaked across a field studded with anthills, which are called termite mounds.
Stopped, took a picture.

Very beautiful.
It looks like Lynchfield Park near Darwin, but 10 times more.
Valera climbed onto the roof of the jeep and took pictures of the landscape from above.

I decided to check how termites live and broke one of the small (about a meter high) termite mounds.
But instead of the expected small white creatures, large red ants jumped out of the ruined mini Barcelona Cathedral of Gaudí.

I had to jump towards the car. However, the ants, in battle formations, were approaching in my footsteps.
I climbed inside and closed the door. The ants jumped onto the wheels and in order not to let them go inside, I started the engine and gave it gas, shouting out the window to Valera to stay on the roof as best I could.

It so happened that on the road, a few meters from this place there was a bridge over the ravine.
It turned out that it was not designed for the passage of a heavy Land Cruiser on it.

And in the end it turned out that it collapsed as soon as we drove over it.
Moreover, a wild boar jumped out from under the bridge and, out of fear, or maybe angry, rushed under our wheels.
- How are you? I called out to Valera.
“Now I’m going to fall,” he shouted to me.
– Would you like cold wine?
- Certainly. Why are you asking?

Finally, the boar got tired of running in front of the car and guessed to jump away from the road ...
And we stopped by the river more head.

It is a very wide river during the rainy season.
This was evidenced by the dry bed.
Now, in the dry period, it was a family of streams and water lagoons in a rocky base.
The stream rushed only in the center.

After drinking a glass (we were given a box of wine glasses as a gift in a bottleshop, back in the Northern Territories) of cold white Chardonnay, we set off along the riverbed to the other side.
The other side was steep and sandy.

I tried to force it on the move, but the result was disappointing - the bottom of the river in this place was loose and on the move the car only bumped into the sandy slope of the bank.
I picked up a plume of sand on the gas and overheated the engine ...
Failure.
Then there was a series of errors associated with excessive arrogance.
For good, it was necessary to get out of the car, check the coast and the road on the coast, as it was hidden by a steep coast.

I relied on the tread marks (which later turned out to be the track of an ATV, a slightly different weight category, isn't it?).
The result of this carelessness and irresponsibility was that I jumped ashore with acceleration and sat on my belly on a sand dune. Not forward. Not back.

+45 outside in the shade.
Sand - you can fry bacon.
We were roasting our feet, running around the car and trying to figure out what to do.

First, they began to rake the wheels and try to shovel the sand out from under the bottom.
There was no shovel.
There was a bucket and a dustpan.
Rowing them.

The sand was raked away, but the car did not budge, burrowing even deeper with its slipping wheels.
Thoughts were not cheerful: on May 6 we have a plane to Singapore.
We drove along the road, which was marked as closed.

Since the Australians are very law-abiding, it remains only to rely on the park rangers.
How often do they drive this road? The quad bike tracks were old.
Maybe once a week. Or maybe once a month...

And then I made another mistake.
I decided to ask for outside help.
That is, send a messenger to the nearest ranger post or to any place where there could be tourists.
We were separated from the entrance to the park by 60-80 km.

Dasha volunteered to go (and there could be no other way: she speaks good English, the girl will not be able to exert the physical effort that will be needed when pulling the jeep).
Putting on her hat, she took a bag with a bottle of water and paddled along the road ahead.
I insisted that she take another bottle, because I know that in such conditions, dehydration creeps up unnoticed: fainting and pipets.
In Australia, you need to drink at least 4 liters of water per day.
Even if you don't want to drink...

The clock showed 12-30, the most inferno ...

When Dasha left, Borracho fell into the water and froze (as he told me later, the pressure jumped and the back of his head broke).
I went around the car from all sides and realizing that it was useless to dig, I also plopped down next to it.
The depth in this place was below the knee, the water was not as cold as I wanted, but it was something.
The hot air hung in a haze, it was quiet around ...
At this time of day, all living things in Australia burrow into the sand, go into the mud or climb into the shade.
We lay in the water and came to our senses after an emergency and unsuccessful pulling out of the car.
I looked at the rear of the jeep.

- Valerie, how much water do we have? Valera understood what I was getting at ..
- Technical canister, old - 30l, almost a box of wine, 7 cans of beer, a package of Dasha's cider and two large bottles drinking water…
- What kind of food is there? Valera got up and opened the trunk
- There is a stick of sausage, two cans of olives, a pack of cheese and another started one, a head of Dasha's salad ... and that's it
- Not a lot ... I figured that this would be enough for us for 1 day, and then the Surviver kit would come in handy. We already opened it out of curiosity and I saw a fishing hook there ...
Although it seemed to me that throwing stones at parrots would be more productive, to get food ... It's a pity the tickets will be lost ... I'll have to buy the whole chain again ... It's a pity ...
- When are we leaving? sixth?
- Yeah, - Valera echoed, lying in the water ...
“Valer, you have to put on some smear, otherwise we’ll get burned…”
We got out of the water and my head became a little clearer.
- Look Valer, our front is lower than the back, and it is tilted left-hand side. Therefore, we have two wheels slipping - unloaded.
- Yes, we need to raise the front end, level the car ...
- We need a jack! - we said in one voice and climbed to look for him in the trunk.

The jack was in its proper place.
I leveled the area in front of the front beam, put a log there, and put a jack on it.
It was not a hydraulic, but a screw device.

But it had the advantage of shooting up 3 lengths of itself.
And so, I twist the handle of the jack, and Valera with a bucket goes into the river and drags stones.
We work in silence.
Sweat flows in streams.

After 15-20 minutes we take a break and flop into the water.
The front of the car is significantly raised by a jack, and the wheel, respectively.
Valera lays stones under it, I lower the car, rearrange the jack and twist the handle again, raising the front.
As a result of sentries or so (they did not look at the clock) suffering, the car was leveled.
Snags were placed under the front and rear wheels, and I, a little worried, got behind the wheel.

Well, don't let me down! I turn on the reverse, release the clutch, increasing the gas. The car jerks back and goes into axle box
Stop!!! , is Valera.
I'm out

- What?
- Look, the log from under the wheel rested on the bottom, preventing you from moving back.

I slightly move the jeep forward, and Valera takes out a log from under the bottom.
Again I turn on the reverse speed, add gas and slowly, with axle box, I roll out onto the shore, and then the slope.
More gas and food. I'm going in reverse. I'm going to the opposite shore...

Only there, on a rocky bed, I turn off the engine. We take beer with Valera and look at the other shore ...
- Damn, Dasha stayed there ..
There was no point in going back - one member of our team was on the other side and was walking to the parking lot indicated on the map for 1.5 hours.
This is 6-8 km. According to the map, it was 12 km from the parking lot (was it active? The road was closed).

I had to go ahead.
There was nothing else left.
Having closed the car, Valera and I went to explore.
The path that we tried to pass fell away - we will sit down again.

Loose sand was all over the ascent, plus the road turned sharply to the left and if we don't sit near the shore, we'll sit here.
How to get there? We examined all traces.
Here, it looks like the tracks of a jeep. He rode towards us, so it was easier to go down the steep bank.

- Look, Valera. If we go here, then after 10 meters of a steep climb along the sand, we will go to the loam, and then through the forest.
Look, through these bushes, then this tree is thin, the jeep will crush it, and then ...
Then there was a meter ravine ...

"We'll come up with something here." I think that if we go obliquely, then we must slip through ...

We returned to the coast.
We needed rocks, logs, branches... anything that would compact the sand and keep the wheels from getting stuck in it.
The preparatory work took another hour and a half.

Scaring away snakes, spiders, centipedes, we dragged Christmas tree sticks from the forest, and as a result, the proposed track was laid out, the sand was compacted.
We even poured water on it to make it denser.
Then the pressure in the wheels was released, so that they flattened into pancakes.

Source in the river. We groped for stones where the car was not covered with sand over.
I turned on the downshift and drove off.
Half way and the car stalled.
Again original.
Fixing broken rocks.
Now in direct gear, with overclocking. The car almost stopped, but at the last moment the wheels grabbed the solid ground and it drove into the bushes.

Now we had to find Dasha.

I drove the car at the maximum speed for this road: 40 km / h.
Often we stopped and looked for footprints in the sand.
We're going right, she's ahead!

Numerous snake tracks were clearly visible on the sand - zigzags across the road.
Every 10 seconds I honked, trying to attract Dasha's attention if she decided to take a short cut through the forest or rest somewhere in the shade.
So we drove 10 km and ran into a wide river. We left the car and ran to the beach.

We are looking for traces!

Then we found a gnawed skeleton, apparently Dashin, and drove along the road that led from the park.
The base of the rangers was literally 65 km from the place where we were stuck.
They stupidly followed us with their eyes, grabbed their M-16s with optical sights but it was too late - we left.

“Maybe we’ll stop at a campsite,” I asked Valera. Maybe this is the last opportunity to get up close and personal with crocodiles...
- Let's see what kind of campsite.

We turned off main road and made sure that it was no longer a good idea to spend the night in a tent.
Everything is the same: “Akhtung” signs and snags on the shore.
Therefore, we photographed beautiful sunset over the savannah and drove to the nearest town cooktown, which was 124 km away

Passing rivers and streams in complete darkness, we stopped the car and checked the depth and condition of the bottom.
At that time, the headlights illuminated the water surface and dozens of red dots looked at us from the coastal reeds: photographing a crocodile is one torment - the red-eye effect is not removed by anything.

We arrived in Cooktown at night.
A long search for a hotel in this city, bearing the proud name of Lieutenant Cook, was finally crowned with success.
It was a motel on the outskirts of the city, consisting of one main and 6 streets perpendicular to it.
It is noteworthy that when we parked the car near the house, we disturbed a family of kangaroos, who then scratched at the door all night long begging for low-calorie crackers.
We have a lot of them left.
There was nowhere to go...

There are attractions in the city: this is a hill on which stands an old, and no longer working, lighthouse and waterfalls nearby.
Having gone to the waterfalls, we decided not to buy information for tourists from Lonely Planet anymore.

Further, our path lay along the sea to the town Cape Tribulation Along the sea...
My tongue does not dare to call THIS the sea, but in fairness it is worth writing that way - the sea.
Somewhere over the horizon Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and mangroves grew on the shore, lazily splashing brown water and dirty brown sand.

Tribulation is a hangout for Cairns residents.
big offer housing and related services such as restaurants, travel agencies, car and motorcycle rentals, as well as bicycles, which are popular here as a means of walking along the nearby hills.

We used this place for an overnight stay.
Various trips: to the waterfall, safari bad road, a raid on a kayak in search of adventure ... were fucked by us.
We received the key to the two bedroom house on the first and second floor and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the evening evening

The next day, in the morning, we drove towards Cairns and were in this city by lunchtime.
It is, of course, the largest of all other Australian cities that we had along the way.
Simple enough: long suburbs stretched along the sea and called Beach, which in English means beach.
I will again grit my teeth and write this word here, although there is nothing like the beaches there.
In my understanding of this.

The city is haunted by many Japanese tourists who use this place as a base for trips to the Bolshoi barrier reef.
Full of shops with diving equipment, with a standard set of souvenirs and clothes: surfer shorts, which I can’t even look at anymore - I was looking for short shorts to sunbathe your legs ... and all sorts of plywood boomerangs painted by sober natives and t-shirts with silly drawings - a perfect copy of what I saw in Hurghada 10 years ago: variations on the theme of a diver and a shark, as well as an addition to what is sold in Thailand : about SEX.

We arrived at the peak hour when people have lunch.
We drove to the Esplanade (a walking street running along the edge of the “sea”) and parked in front of a large sea food restaurant.

Our dusty and dirty Toyota-type unit, with a combination of letters incomprehensible to the uninitiated written on the rear window, forming in FUCK and English word, so not loved all over the world RUSSIA, as well as a neutral site ......
All this aroused the genuine interest of others.
And also we, who crawled out like devils from a snuffbox: in shorts and flip flops, with a naked torso ...
Japanese girls looking at us, they whispered, hiding behind their palms and laughed joyfully.
Then they asked us to take a picture with us against the backdrop of our locomotive of the Cherepanov brothers ...

Our adventure was coming to an end.
We had a day to sack the city of Cairns.
We had time to sleep and recover before the long road home, where it was already drawn.

• We drove a total of 5000 km on the dusty roads of the Australian outback.
• We peed from the edge of Australia to the ocean
• We returned alive and almost unharmed.

Can you brag about the same?

(Photo SWNS)

At the end of May, the world's largest crocodile named Cassius Clay celebrated his 110th birthday. The gift was a huge 20 kg chicken cake. In 2011 one of the most famous residents north of Australia was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest reptile kept in captivity.

This giant was caught 26 years ago in wild nature in Australia. He instilled fear in local residents and caused a lot of inconvenience by attacking boats. He was placed with the owner of the Green Island farm in Marineland Melanesia.

But we will not start with him, but with the past champions. For example …

Length - 6 meters, Weight - 1 ton. Snapshot of 2002 in the Republic of Burundi This monster caused the death of more than 300 people.

The crocodile in the photo was shot by Steve Curl after numerous complaints from local residents.

But in the Philippines, the largest crested crocodile in the world at that time was caught. Its length was 6400 mm, and the weight was more than 1000 kg. He is almost a meter superior to his relative from the Guinness Book of Records!

The crocodile was captured in September 2011 during a three-week hunt launched after authorities suspected giant reptile attacks the locals. At least one person was killed and one more is missing. It took about a hundred people to pull the crocodile out of the water.

For more than half a month, the inhabitants of the town of Bunawan tried to catch the discovered giant crocodile. Repeatedly, all the bait from the meat of dogs, smoke pigs, was eaten by a colossal crocodile and freely left the prepared trap. But now, a whole detachment of hunters of thirty people managed to throw nets on him and wrap the crocodile with a metal cable.

Then this giant reptile became the main attraction of the town of Bunawan. A special water park with an area of ​​150 sq. meters.

Scientists suggest that this specimen is approximately 50 years old. He can easily take first place in the Book of Records, because now the crocodile is only 5480 mm long.

Residents of the town of Bunawan will now be able to sleep peacefully. Because, before that, the crested crocodile ate domestic animals, and besides, there are suspicions that he ate a peasant who disappeared in July.

As Cox Edwin Elord, Mayor of Bunawan, stated: “The shooting of this crocodile was not even discussed. We specifically hunted him. To show to ecotourists.

I want to remind you that crocodiles living in salt water are centenarians. Their age reaches 100 years. But, they are very vulnerable, due to hunting, for their valuable skin, especially in the Philippines.

And in 2013, the combed crocodile died. Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elord said unusually cold weather for the region may have been the cause of death.

The giant has become a tourist attraction in Bunawan. “I loved this crocodile, he brought glory to our city and the Philippines,” said Elord. An eco-park was built specifically for the crocodile, after which tourists began to come to the city. According to the mayor, the city earned about 3 million pesos ($72,000) from Lolong.

It is reported that the same, if not larger, crocodiles can be found in the vicinity of Bunavan, which can be a danger to local residents and tourists.

Now back to our living champion!

The crocodile was named after the legendary boxer Cassius Clay (real name Muhammad Ali). (Photo by SWNS):

The exact age of the crocodile is unknown, but experts estimate it to be around 110 years old. Keeper Billy Craig said that crocodiles usually change their teeth and stop doing so when they get sick and old. But Cassius' teeth are fine. This means that he keeps good shape and can live another 30 years. (Photo by SWNS):

Interesting fact: oldest woman of the people who ever lived on Earth, whose dates of birth and death are precisely known - Jeanne Louise Calment. She lived 122 years and 164 days.

Cassius Clay is not only the oldest, but also world's largest saltwater crocodile. Its body length is 5.48 meters and it weighs a whole ton. (Photo by SWNS):

In 2011, the crocodile was included in the Guinness Book of Records. True, last year Cassius briefly lost his high-profile title: his record was broken by the Philippine crocodile Lolong, whose length was as much as 6.17 meters. But the new record holder died, and Cassius again became the largest reptile. (Photo by SWNS):

Long-lived Australian giant Cassius Clay was presented with a 20kg chicken cake at the end of May for his 110th birthday. Such a gift has become big even for the largest crocodile in the world.

Cassius's diet of a kilogram of chicken and fish per day and 20 kilograms at a time seemed like a daunting task ... (Photo by SWNS):

But the crocodile destroyed the "cake" in just 30 seconds. (Photo by SWNS):

Crocodiles are the oldest and most powerful predators that appeared about 250 million years ago. They live an average of 80-100 years and have no natural enemies. (Photo by SWNS):

Exist ancient legend that the crocodile, eating prey, cries "crocodile tears". In fact, crocodiles “cry” not at all from pity, this is a protective reaction of the body, aimed at removing excess salts.

Klassius Clay, May 2013. (Photo by SWNS):

This video from 2011 shows Cassius being measured by a caretaker. To do this, the crocodile had to be lured into a small pool and forced to lie down straight.

Australian freshwater crocodile, or Johnston's crocodile- a reptile family of real crocodiles, lives in fresh water in northern Australia.

It was originally named Crocodylus johnsoni, that is, Johnson's Crocodile, due to an error in the spelling of the name of the discoverer Robert Johnston. Although the error was corrected some time later, both names are still found in the literature.

It's relative small view crocodiles - males very rarely grow more than 2.5-3 m, it takes 25-30 years to reach this size. Females are usually no more than 2.1 m. The muzzle is unusually narrow, with sharp teeth. The coloration is light brown with black stripes on the back and tail, the belly is lighter. The scales are quite large, rounded on the sides and outer side of the paws.

Like all narrow-nosed crocodiles, the basis of the diet of this species is fish. Additionally, adults may feed on amphibians, birds, small reptiles, and mammals. Usually the crocodile sits and waits until the prey comes close enough, and then grabs it with a quick movement of the head. During the dry season, its activity is greatly reduced due to lack of food and lower temperatures. Freshwater crocodile is considered harmless to humans. Although it can bite if threatened, its jaws are not strong enough to cause serious damage.

Eggs are laid in July-September, when the water level in the river drops sharply.

About 2/3 of the nests are destroyed by monitor lizards and wild pigs who manage to seize the moment when their parents leave them unguarded. In some years, the rainy season comes very early, and as a result, all nests can be flooded.

Freshwater crocodile lives in the northern regions of Australia: in the states Western Australia, Queensland and especially in the Northern Territory.

Prefers fresh water - rivers, lakes and swamps. In years when the number of its main competitor, the combed crocodile, decreases, it is also found close to the coast, for example, in estuaries. AT upstream The rivers are inhabited by a smaller (not larger than 1.5 m) and dark variety of the freshwater crocodile, but it is believed that it does not form a separate subspecies.

The total number of the species is relatively stable and amounts to 50-100 thousand individuals. In the 1950s and 1960s, the freshwater crocodile was hunted for its skin, but measures were soon taken to protect the species. Now, for the extraction of crocodile skin, they are bred on small farms. The main threat to the species is the reduction of habitats. Since the 1970s, there have been programs to study and monitor the abundance of freshwater crocodile.

If you are interested in crocodiles, and you just dream of seeing them in the wild, then this article is for you. Here we will talk about the places where you can see these amazing reptiles in the wild.

Crocodiles in Australia

If you crave to see big crocodiles in the wild, then Australia is the right place to go. This continent is famous for the most big crocodiles of the living ones - combed (marine) crocodiles. Such a reptile reaches a length of more than 6 meters and weighs more than a ton.

If in many countries you can see crocodiles mainly in nature reserves and National parks, then in Australia these reptiles inhabited almost all the rivers of the northern coast of the country. Crocodiles are found not only in wilderness, but they are often caught in densely populated areas. For example, in Fanny Bay, on the coast of which there are The largest city Northern Territories of Australia - Darwin.

On the territory of Australia there are National Parks and Reserves, and just crocodile parks, where combed crocodiles can be seen in wildlife. In some areas, special shows are organized for tourists with feeding these reptiles.

For thrill-seekers, the Cage of Death attraction is organized in the specially designed Crocosaurus Cove crocodile park in the center of Darwin. Those who want to tickle their nerves in a special glass cage (made of very durable glass) are immersed in a pool with huge crocodiles. Daredevils can watch these huge cannibals at arm's length.

For lovers of Africa, the National Parks of the Republic of South Africa are cordially opening their doors. Those who wish to observe crocodiles in wildlife are recommended to go to national park Kruger and Mapungubwe National Park.

In South Africa, you can watch the Nile crocodiles. They are slightly smaller than their Australian brothers, but no less bloodthirsty. Large individuals can reach a length of more than 5 meters, and weigh up to a ton.

Here, of course, you will not be offered such conditions as in Australia, but you can watch reptiles while sailing along the river in a comfortable pleasure boat.

Crocodiles in Uganda

If South Africa is a Europeanized Africa, then in Uganda you can see a piece of untouched Africa.

Crocodiles can be seen here in National parks and reserves. To do this, you can visit the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

Crocodiles in Uganda can be observed during river and lake tours. There are a lot of reptiles here, so there will be no shortage of thrills.

Crocodiles in Thailand

If you want to not only look at crocodiles, but also taste them, then your path lies straight to Thailand. It is in this Asian country that a huge number of crocodile farms are located, where crocodiles are grown for their valuable skin and meat.

Do not think that there are still crocodiles in Thailand in wildlife, and there are even tours in some reserves where tourists can see these reptiles in wildlife.

But if you want to really see the show and try the crocodile "on the tooth", then you should definitely visit one of the crocodile farms. Experienced Thai trainers will show you an unforgettable show, and virtuoso chefs will prepare dishes with amazing taste.

Alligators in the USA

Alligators differ from real crocodiles in a calmer disposition, although they are often not inferior in size to their aggressive relatives. Common crocodiles are found in the US, but alligators dominate. If you want to see alligators, then you should visit the states of Florida and Louisiana.

For lovers of "very thrills" it is recommended to visit the Swamp of Ghosts in Louisiana. This place is located near New Orleans. The place itself is terrifying. According to legend, it was cursed by the black voodoo queen at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, many settlements along the swamp have died out, and now only the ruins of houses stand. And in places where people once lived, huge alligators came.

During a tour of the park on an airboat, you can see hundreds of alligators. And then a bright show awaits you, during which an experienced presenter will tell and show what to do if you had to face an alligator or a crocodile in wildlife.

How much is it?

If you are going to see crocodiles in wildlife, you should understand that this pleasure is not cheap.

The most affordable option is Thailand. With a departure from Kyiv or Moscow, such a tour can cost $1000-1200 per person.

It is followed by the USA. Such a trip can cost $1200-1500 per person. Although the cost of the flight is approximately the same, and maybe even less than to Thailand, the cost of living in the country will be more expensive.

Uganda and South Africa are next on the list. The cost of such a trip will be $2000-2500 per person.

And Australia will cost the most. Due to the remoteness of this country from Kyiv or Moscow, air tickets will be quite expensive. The cost of such a trip will be $2500-3500 per person.

When is it worth going to see crocodiles?

You can visit Thailand almost any time of the year. The climate there is sable, and tourists are welcome all year round.

The same situation is in the USA. Although due to Atlantic hurricanes, it is not recommended to visit Florida and Louisiana in August-September.

It is better to go to Uganda in the middle of winter or summer. The country is located on the equator and has a fairly stable temperature climate. Spring and autumn are the rainy seasons.

You can travel to South Africa at any time of the year.

But it is better to go to Australia in May-September. The rest of the time there is intense heat, and there is a high probability forest fires, or rainy seasons, when large areas are flooded and movement across the area is difficult.

The combed crocodile gets its name from the characteristic ridges near the eyes. With age, these ridges stand out more and more noticeably, and in older individuals the entire muzzle is covered with large tubercles. These bumps even gave the crocodile its international scientific name" Crocodylus porosus", from lat. porosus - "nostrilous".

The frightening appearance and huge size of this predator from ancient times instilled fear in the hearts of people. This is the largest modern reptile on the planet, and the largest crocodile. It is also one of the most large predators on the ground. Its size exceeds the size of a polar bear.

inhabits combed crocodile in warm waters Australia, Indonesia, India, Philippines. Formerly found in Seychelles and African east coast(now completely destroyed). Ability saltwater crocodile swimming well and far in the sea allows him to appear in the most unexpected places for a person. So, sometimes this predator is found even off the coast of Japan, where it never lived. Outwardly clumsy and inactive combed crocodiles can travel great distances. For long distance travel they use sea ​​currents, which pick up the heavy body of a reptile and carry it hundreds of kilometers. Observations of some crocodiles (using satellite transmitters) have shown that adult males can swim almost 600 km in the sea. in 25 days.

Drifting with the current helps the crocodile conserve energy. Sometimes the predator stops in coastal bays and gulfs until it reaches the desired current. Such crocodiles, waiting for their “wave”, can remain near the shore for several days, terrifying the locals. Quite often crocodiles even force out local sharks from bays of the camps. They simply cannot cope with the thick skin of a reptile, and retreat, giving up territory to a stronger predator.

The saltwater crocodile has special glands that help the animal remove excess salt from the body. Therefore, he feels great in salt water, but still most time prefers to be in warm fresh waters mangroves and calm river lagoons. They are loners by nature. If an uninvited guest enters the territory of a crocodile, there will be a fierce fight. Crocodiles fight to the death. It is not uncommon for the loser to miss a limb, or even die. These are one of the most aggressive animals towards their relatives. Adult males can only put up with the presence of several females on their territory, and then, they can only transfer their company during the mating period.

Being a super predator, the combed crocodile feeds on everything that it can “reach out to”. The diet depends on the habitat. The reptile attacks large land mammals- bulls, buffaloes, horses, etc. Hunts in salt water big fish. There is evidence of successful shark hunting. Young crocodiles feed on other reptiles, fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. There are also cannibal crocodiles. Easily cracks down on crocodiles of other species - Australian and marsh.

Every year, there are many cases of attacks of marine crocodiles on humans. In Australia, the combed predator suffers from the teeth more people than from a great white shark, but lethal outcome ends with only 1-2 cases per year (in Malaysia, more than 100 people die from crocodile attacks every year). It is believed that the reptile attacks a person not so much because of hunger, but for defensive purposes - guarding its egg laying or defending the territory. It has been noticed that in places where a person appears often, the aggressiveness of a crocodile is much weaker. The reptile gets used to human society and warns the person in advance of its presence with a threatening posture. But if a crocodile rarely sees a person, then he will try to attack an uninvited guest.

Most famous case Salted crocodile attacks on humans occurred on February 19, 1945, when almost 1,000 Japanese army soldiers were killed in the water off Ramri Island.

« About a thousand Japanese soldiers tried to repel the attack of the landing of the Royal navy Great Britain ten miles from the coast, in the mangrove swamps, where thousands of crocodiles live. Twenty soldiers were later captured alive, but most were eaten by crocodiles. The hellish situation of the retreating soldiers was aggravated by the huge number of scorpions and tropical mosquitoes that also attacked them, ”the Guinness book says. Naturalist Bruce Wright, who participated in the battle on the side of the English battalion, claimed that the crocodiles ate most of the soldiers of the Japanese detachment: “This night was the most terrible night that any of the fighters had ever experienced. Scattered in the black swamp slush, bloody screaming Japanese, crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the strange disturbing sounds of spinning crocodiles represented a cacophony of hell. Such a spectacle, I think, few could observe on earth. At dawn, the vultures flew in to clean up what the crocodiles had left... of the 1,000 Japanese soldiers who entered the Rami swamps, only about 20 were found alive»

The bad reputation of the saltwater crocodile (sometimes justified) was an excuse for uncontrolled hunting of the reptile. In some places of the planet, it was completely destroyed. Currently, there is no crocodile in Thailand and Sri Lanka. The number of predators in India and Vietnam is minimal. Regulated hunting since the late 1970s has prevented the complete destruction of the reptile. Currently, there are enough crocodiles in the wild not to fear for the conservation of the species, but it is still listed in the International Red Book.

Man highly appreciates (and pays for) crocodile skin. A delicacy is fried crocodile meat. For these purposes, crocodiles are bred on special crocodile farms.