Wedding bells are ringing for Mombasa’s biggest crocodile

By  Gitonga Marete

What you need to know:

  • Bid Daddy, believed to be over 100 years old, got a reprieve a few years ago when two female crocodiles — Sasha and Salma — were introduce in his corner of the pool.
  • He welcomed them with open claws, and they have been living happily since.

  • He even changed his behaviour, allowing one or the other of the two to enjoy a bite from his share of meat at feeding times every Friday.

Wedding bells are ringing in Mombasa. In a few short months, all roads will be leading to Mamba Village to witness as Big Daddy and his two brides tie the knot.

But before that, he will take a shot at a world record when, in September, a team from the Guinness Book of Records arrives in Mombasa to measure his vital statistics.

Big Daddy is not just another crocodile — and he has not always been a darling.

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He was first put in captivity in 1986 after mauling five people in River Tana. And he was so mean that when he arrived at his new home, he quickly gobbled not one, not two but 10 of his friends. His appetite led Mamba Village managers to put him in solitary confinement.

Bid Daddy, believed to be over 100 years old, got a reprieve a few years ago when two female crocodiles — Sasha and Salma — were introduce in his corner of the pool.

He welcomed them with open claws, and they have been living happily since. He even changed his behaviour, allowing one or the other of the two to enjoy a bite from his share of meat at feeding times every Friday.

DECEMBER WEDDING

And this, dear reader, is why come December, he will be wedded to Sasha and Salma.

“We expect that the event will attract thousands of tourists who will come to witness the rare occasion,” said Mr Paul Mutua, the product manager at Mamba Village.

Already, he and his team are in talks with the Kenya Tourism Board and other players in the sector to see how the event can be used to promote tourism.

“We are still discussing on how we will put a “king’s crown” on his head and veils for the brides. When it comes to “kiss the bride”, there is also an elaborate plan for that,” said Mr Mutua.

Before that, they have invited the Guinness Book of World Records team in September to establish the weight and length of the crocodile, with a view of listing it in the book of records as one of the largest in the world.

Crocodiles can grow to over five  metres long, live for up to hundreds of years and weigh upwards of a tonne.

The longest crocodile in the world as recorded in the Guinness Book of World  Records lives in a zoo in Australia. It measures 5.5 metres, weighs 1,300 kilos and is said to be 110 years old.

 

BIG DADDY EATS 60KG PER MEAL

  • When he was captured from River Tana in 1986, Big Daddy is said to have been around 80 years old.

  •  Big Daddy is said to have weighed over one tonne and measures over five metres long  10 years ago.   

  •  Crocodiles can grow to over five metres in length, chalk up hundreds of years and pile up to one tonne in weight. Their canine teeth can be up to four inches long.

  •  The largest crocodile in the world as recorded in the Guinness Book of World  Records is in a zoo in Australia. It measures 5.5 metres, weighs 1,300 kilos and is over 110 years old.

  •  At Mamba Village, Mombasa, Big Daddy feeds only once in a week, consuming more than 60 kilos of meat – or two goats — per meal.

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