South Africa

At the age of 123, Henry is the oldest living crocodile in the world. The enormous beast weighs 700 kg and is 16 feet long, almost the size of a minibus!

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Henry, who lives in captivity in South Africa, is now recognised as the world’s oldest crocodile and also the oldest living reptile in the world. The humongous being belongs to the species of Nile crocodiles, which are found across Sub-Saharan Africa in about 26 countries. The species are known for their deadly nature and are responsible for several human deaths in the region.

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Apart from being the oldest, Henry is also famous for having six “wives” and over 10,000 babies, as per the zoo where he lives. The crocodile has been living in Scottburgh, South Africa for the past three decades.

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Henry’s journey began in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where he was born on 16 December 1900, as per The Sun. 

Henry’s dark past and notorious reputation

Henry, the crocodile, has a dark past and he grew up with a notorious reputation. He is well-known in his region for his terrifying fang-like teeth and massive frame.

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In the early, 1900s, Henry was a threat to local tribes of Botswana, where he allegedly used to prey on human children.

The Nile crocodiles are nasty predators that are unafraid to butcher its meek prey which includes zebra and porcupines.

The tribes, in desperation to end his bloodthirsty reign, sought the help of a famed hunter- Sir Henry Neumann. 

Rather than killing the beast, Neumann captured Henry and sentenced him to lifetime captivity. It was Henry Neumann after whom the giant crocodile was named Henry.

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For the past three decades, Henry has lived at the Crocworld Conservation Centre in Scottburgh. There, he continues to awe visitors with his humungous size and age. His dark, man-eating past is a stark contrast to his current life as a zoo attraction, where he is admired from a safe distance.

While Henry is the oldest crocodile, the title of being the largest belongs to Cassius, a 16 ft saltwater crocodile living in Australia. Cassius was captured in 1984 and soon became a star attraction at the Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat on Green Island, off the coast of Queensland.

(With inputs from agencies)