When I first heard that Jaws 3 is in Chennai in our very own Crocodile Bank and that they have seen it, I was shocked and also a little curious to check if I was hearing right. It was really hard to believe that the World’s largest salt water crocodile was actually kept in captivity in Chennai and that I had just gotten to know about it. For me, seeing is believing and therefore I made a visit to the Crocodile Bank to have a closer look at him. But when I got there, he was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, I thought, “Hey, people were just making stories about it!!!” But at that very moment, Jaws surprised me. He came out of cover from under water, slowly revealing his true size and beauty. He is indeed the biggest and most majestic salt water crocodile ever kept in captivity.
On reading up a bit of history about this crocodile, this is what I learnt. I’m going to share a bit of the knowledge I have gained about Jaws 3 for those who are reading this and wondering, “What’s so special about a crocodile in captivity? Where is he from???” and so on. Jaws 3 was rescued and brought to Madras Crocodile Bank when he was just two years old. Today he is about 30+ and growing. He measures around 16 1/2 feet and weighs 500 to 600 Kilograms. They have tried breeding programs for Jaws 3 but have failed miserably as they could not find a female that matched his size and strength. He is one of the rarest breeds of the salt water crocodile and has a life span of about 70 years. Jaws 3 is expected to continue to grow in size but not in length as the growth is said to stop at the age of 30.
If you’re in Chennai and haven’t yet seen him, you better not miss this! Jaws 3 is really shy and can’t handle the heat. The best time to see him would be on a Sunday. And this would be because Sunday is his feeding day 🙂 . The feeding starts at 4 PM. But it is advisable to be there a little earlier to ensure you get a good spot to watch this magnificent creature. Do not forget to carry your camera along and capture some happy and precious moments with Jaws 3. For me, the best part would be watching the zookeeper (forgot his name :() gently pat Jaws 3 on the nose after feeding him.
So enjoy watching this beautiful creation of God the next time you visit Crocodile Bank. Parents, do not forget to keep your children away from the fences!
