Siamese crocodile hatchlings reunited with parents

Three critically endangered Siamese crocodile hatchlings have been reunited with their parents after their birth earlier this year.

Hugo and Rebecca are the proud parents of the little reptile brothers at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Their eggs were removed from the nest for artificial incubation, to ensure the best temperatures for healthy development.

Colin Stevenson, head of education at the zoo, said the crocodiles were "excellent parents" and the little ones were being well looked after.

The newest arrivals have not been named yet and have been sitting out basking, then "swimming over and sitting on mum or dad's back," he said.

Mr Stevenson, originally from Sydney Australia, said: "It's a bit of a surprise to a lot of people that crocs are such good parents.

"They're the only reptiles that show extended and quite detailed parental care."

It is "excellent" from an education point of view, he said, as the team was able to monitor the crocodiles' parent and child relationship in action.

"Both mum and dad are extremely protective of the young ones," he said, which made feeding and maintaining the enclosures "tricky" for the keepers.

"The parents are extra sensitive at the moment because they're in protective mode and everything can be seen as a threat to the hatchlings," Mr Stevenson said.

The animals, which can live into their 50s, usually grow to around 6,000 times their birth size.

They are native to Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

They were near to extinction but have been making a comeback in some areas.

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