France's heatwaves have produced an unusual outcome at a wildlife park, where 10 Nile crocodiles hatched without human assistance for the first time, the director of the reserve said on Wednesday.
While Nile crocodile eggs naturally incubate in underground nests in the wild, zoos typically hatch them in carefully controlled incubators, closely monitoring the temperature and humidity.
“For the first time, we had an incubation that took place entirely under natural conditions,” Samuel Martin, director of the reserve in the south-eastern town of Pierrelatte, told AFP.
La Ferme aux Crocodiles bills itself as Europe’s largest wildlife park with a focus on reptiles.
On Saturday, visitors alerted staff after spotting 10 Nile crocodiles hatching without any human intervention. But the excitement shared by visitors and the veterinary team quickly gave way to concern.
