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Hakuna and Matata (Picture: Facebook / Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam Zoo) - Credit: Hakuna and Matata (Picture: Facebook / Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam Zoo)
Nature
bombing of 1940
crocodile
Crocodile River
Deceased
destroyed
female crocodile
gift
Hakuna
Hakuna Matata
Josephine Baker
Matata
Oldest crocodile
Rotterdam zoo
singer dancer
Zoo
Friday, 6 March 2015 - 17:32

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Oldest crocodile in captivity dies at Rotterdam Zoo

Hakuna, called the oldest crocodile in any zoo worldwide, died this week, the Rotterdam Zoo announced. Its exact age was not revealed, but was known to be more than 85 years of age. Hakuna came into the Blijdorp zoo with a female crocodile, Matata, around 1930. The crocodiles were a gift from famous singer and dancer Josephine Baker. Both crocodiles were already fully grown when entering the zoo, which made it difficult to determine their age. They were two of the few animals to have survived the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 that destroyed almost completely destroyed the old zoo. The pair spent their last years in the Crocodile River before Matata died midway through 2014.

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