You’d think that there was nothing they could do that would shock us anymore but this gruesome footage of a large crocodile eating a smaller one is not an easy watch. It was captured at Kruger National Park in South Africa by a visitor on a morning game drive at Sunset Dam. The scene starts off quite innocently with what looks like a playfight between what could be a parent and child crocodile. Crocs are known to be highly attentive parents compared to many other reptiles. Unlike snakes and turtles, the mother crocodile returns to the eggs after she has laid them to protect them from predators. When she hears the “chirrup” sound made by newly hatched crocs she will carry them to the water’s edge in her mouth. Some moms even stick around for a few months to give their offspring the best start in life. Some viewers may think it’s a bit of playful sparing between two croc mates – even if they are very different sizes! Crocs are very territorial and both males and females will drive off invaders to protect their territory. However, this particular encounter soon turns out to be something much more sinister! We join the action as the larger croc has the smaller one’s tail securely locked in its huge jaws. The action plays out very slowly and the video has been edited so that we can fast forward through the action. Having been locked in this position for an age, the larger croc decides it’s time to move things along. It shakes the little croc around to disorientate it, then loosens its grip on its tail only to grab the neck in its powerful jaws. Sadly, escape is now impossible and we enter another agonizing period where the smaller croc simply has to wait for its inevitable fate. Cannibal croc has been playing the long game but eventually decides it’s time to take its prize into the water for the final attack. It’s hard to see what is going on in the murky waters as both crocs move downstream and further away from the cameraman. However, there are several other crocs witnessing the unhappy scene. We can only assume that the smaller croc was eventually eaten in an episode of crocodile cannibalism! Cannibalism has been quite widely reported amongst crocodiles. It may be a response to a limited food supply or may simply be a way to show dominance. Either way, it serves as a warning that no one is safe around these magnificent and ancient creatures – not even other crocs!
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