CROCtoberFest Celebrates Relicts of the Dinosaur Age

Welcome to the

They will be part of a wonderful community event called CROCtoberfest!

On Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we will host this first-ever event celebrating the world of crocodiles.

Come and meet “Bubba” the world famous alligator and his owner, Jim Nesci, who will give a presentation about his work with crocodiles from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• See footage of Bubba from Reptile Rampage in March.

Other guests will include the Chicago Herpetological Society, whose members will have a menagerie of crocodilians and other species of reptiles for people to touch and hold. For the young-ins, we will have face painting, a drawing contest and various stations set up to learn more about our resident animals.

So why host an event to celebrate crocodiles? There are many reasons but I’ll just name a few.

• First, a special protein in the blood of crocodilians might unlock the secrets to killing off the most dangerous bacteria on earth.  In fact, our next big antibiotic will probably be medicine derived from crocodile blood.

• Second, crocodilians are apex predators and when you start killing off these predators, the entire ecosystem gets out of whack. They maintain balance in a healthy ecosystem.

• Third, these animals are relicts of the dinosaur age. Virtually unchanged through time, these successful predators are part of our heritage, and it would be a shame to think that these animals could disappear off the face of the earth if we don’t do something to protect them. Nearly every species of crocodilian (24) on earth are threatened, endangered or critically endangered. They need our help!

CROCtoberfest is free of charge, but we do recommend a donation at the door. Proceeds will benefit the WDC’s crocodile collection, but we will also make a donation to the IUCN SSP Crocodile Specialist Group and the Crocodile Advisory Group – two organizations that the WDC’s curator is actively involved in. 

• It’s time to answer a few questions that have come in this past month:

“Why is Bruno the Alligator Snapping Turtle in such a small enclosure”?

Great question! First, the WDC always exceeds the recommendations set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Bruno is no exception. He can free move around his habitat and when we design exhibits, we always take into account the natural behaviors of our animals.

The Alligator Snapping Turtle is a “sit and wait” predator, which means they don’t like to move around too much. As long as food comes to them, and it does as they have a lure-like appendage in their mouth that draws in fish as it looks like a worm, there’s no need to waste energy by moving your big body.

In time, we may give him something larger but the best indicator for a reptile acclimating to captivity is feeding and Bruno’s appetite is never ending. Bruno weighs close to 225 pounds and is probably over 150 years old! He’s truly a one-of-a-kind animal. 

Keep the questions coming! Contact me directly at carmichr@cityoflakeforest.com.

For more information about CROCtoberfest, visit the Wildlife Discovery Center website._