Wedding bells are ringing for 100 year-old crocodile with two brides
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.
GOBBLED FRIENDS
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 introduced 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.
And this, dear reader, is why come December, he will be wedded to Sasha and Salma.
RARE OCCASION
“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.
