The Nile Crocodile

By Georgia

The crocodile is a big animal. It has got a very long tail, four sort legs, a big mouth full of lots of teeth. It lives in Africa, in rivers. It can move quicly and swim very fast. The Nile crocodile eats a lot of fish and big animals. It can live for many years.

During countless hours spent observing Africa's Nile crocodile, a pair of photographers have documented the reptile's strength, speed and surprising gentleness.

There is the crocodile’s “tender side,” they say. When the few dozen eggs a female crocodile has buried in sandy soil at the riverside are ready to hatch, her offspring make a chirping sound that sends the mother into action. “Once the mother hears the call, she rushes in, digs the eggs out and then tenderly picks up a baby in her mouth and carries it to the river,” says Shah. The mother “then comes back to get another baby, puts it in those fearsome jaws and so on,” until all her offspring are in the river and launched on the voyage of life.