The crack of eggs was heard at the Australian Reptile Park early on Easter Monday, but they weren’t of the chocolate variety.
The Easter surprise came in the form of three baby alligators which hatched following their incubation in late December.
The cute three reptiles are yet to be named and the Reptile Park is calling on the public to help choose their names.
Once the names have been chosen, the lucky winner will get to have an up-close meet and greet with the adorable gators.
Head Reptile keeper Jake Meney caught the hatching on his phone.
“We are just stoked with the arrival of our little dinosaur look-a-likes on such a special morning,” he said.
“And we were so lucky to catch the moment on camera.
“They are so small at the moment and can fit in the palm of my hand; it’s crazy to think that they’ll grow up to be three-four metres one day.”
Keepers “raided” the alligator nests back in December last year to incubate the eggs, prevent them being eaten by cannibalistic alligators and protect them from the harsh Australian summer.
“In the extremely dangerous annual Gator Raid, three keepers restrain the female alligator while two other keepers raid the nest.
“As these gators have only just hatched, it will be a little while before they go in display in the Lost World of Reptiles,” Meney said.
“They will eventually be moved to our massive Gator Lagoon when they reach around two metres in length, which is in approximately five-eight years.”
Keepers are calling on the public to name the tiny trio by leaving name suggestions as a comment on the Australian Reptile Park’s Facebook video of the alligators.
Keepers will pick their favourite name and the lucky winner will get the chance to meet and greet the little bundles of joy.
Alligators are found in the swamps and bayous of the south-eastern USA.
Wetland clearance and polluted drains and water are the main threats to alligators.
They are also shot by humans quite frequently because they are seen as a danger; however, alligators are much more timid than crocodiles.
Males are much larger than females, reaching over five metres in length.
Source:
Media release, Apr 11
Australian Reptile Park