– It is very rare to see crocodiles copulating, says Simon Grendeus, crocodile researcher and PhD student in cognitive science at Lund University.
Despite several previous acts of mating and egg-laying at the tropicarium, the employees have neither seen nor managed to film it before, they write on their social media.
Hard to get on film
And even if you were to catch them in the act, it is rarely possible to get such clear pictures.
– It is usually in cloudy water, or that you see it from above. But here you see it from a very good angle, says Simon Grendeus.
He himself has only seen alligators do it once, and then it was from above, he says.
Must have an outlet for motherhood behaviors
Crocodiles have internal fertilization – the egg cells are thus fertilized inside the female’s body. If this fertilization is successful, the female will lay eggs in early 2024, according to Tropikariet in Helsingborg.
In the past, the eggs were hatched outside the enclosure and then brought back to the mother, but this time the eggs will be hatched inside the facility. It should make it easier for the female crocodile to have an outlet for her natural behavior of helping the young out of the nest and guarding them.
– They have very advanced and intimate mothering behaviors. They take care of them and carry them around in their jaws. It’s very exciting to see, says Simon Grendeus.