Animals Inc. On Location: Dispatch 3 – Nile Crocodiles on the Mara River

A large Nile crocodile basking on the Mara River in the Masai Mara. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A large Nile crocodile basking on the Mara River in the Masai Mara. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A Smaller crocodile is basking in the sun next to him. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A smaller crocodile is basking in the sun next to him. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

They both slip into the water as we hear a splash underneath an overhang in the river, just behind where we are parked. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

They both slip into the water as we hear a splash underneath an overhang in the river, just behind where we are parked. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A feeding frenzy occurs as more crocodiles enter the river. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A feeding frenzy occurs as more crocodiles enter the river. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A giant crocodile goes into a death roll and breaks off the lower half of a wildebeest. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

A giant crocodile goes into a death roll and breaks off the lower half of a wildebeest. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

He swims away to eat it by himself. You can see both hind legs coming out of each side of his mouth. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

He swims away to eat it by himself. You can see both hind legs coming out of the side of his mouth. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

He dwarfs another adult crocodile who is probably about 10-12 feet in length and is trying to get a hold of a leg for himself. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

He dwarfs another adult crocodile who is probably about 10-12 feet in length and is trying to get a hold of a leg for himself. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

The smaller crocodile swims off after failing to get a hold on the leg. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

The smaller crocodile swims off after failing to get a hold on the leg. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

The giant finishes off the meal as another crocodile approaches looking for scraps. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

The giant finishes off the meal as another crocodile approaches looking for scraps. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

Quite something to see this natural behavior on the Mara River - the power of the large crocodile was an awesome sight. The guide didn't think they had killed the wildebeest then, but rather that it had been cached and the dragged back into the river, drawing all the crocodiles in the vicinity back into the river. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

Quite something to see this natural behavior on the Mara River – the power of the large crocodile was an awesome sight. The guide didn’t think they had killed the wildebeest then, but rather that it had been cached and the dragged back into the river, drawing all the crocodiles in the vicinity back into the river. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

DSC_0247Tim is traveling with AZA Commercial Member Classic Escapes. Be sure to visit the Animals Inc. website to view photos of his experiences in Kenya and to learn more about actions you can take to help protect the species that live there.

This entry was posted in Conservation, Nile Crocodile and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Animals Inc. On Location: Dispatch 3 – Nile Crocodiles on the Mara River

  1. ladyofthezoos says:

    Wow! I can only imagine what seeing these massive, amazing animals at work in the wild would be like.

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