2 White Crocodiles Moved to Shizuoka Pref. Botanical Garden

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:04 JST, August 9, 2023

HIGASHI-IZU, Shizuoka — Two white saltwater crocodiles have been moved to the Atagawa Tropical and Alligator Garden, a zoo and botanical garden located in Higashi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The crocodiles can now be seen by members of the public. They were imported from Thailand in June 2007 by an enthusiast and were donated to the zoo in June this year.

Both are female and about 170 centimeters long, weighing about 15 kilograms. They are estimated to be 17 years old. The crocodiles are white variants with congenitally low pigmentation, which is different from an albino, caused by mutations in the gene that produces melanin pigmentation, according to the garden.

The alligator garden had previously bred and raised a similar white saltwater crocodile from 1972 to 2016. Affectionately known as the “great white crocodile,” it was about 3.5 meters long.

“We hope that the two new crocodiles will become popular as a new symbol of the park,” said garden deputy director Hiroko Kamiyama.