BRENT: Crocodiles are among the most frightening of creatures, but research suggests they enjoy surfing, playing with balls and giving piggybacks to their friends.
Professor Vladimir Dinets, a behavioral ecologist, said his observations of crocodiles at play should inform zoos of how to correctly care for these creatures. He found crocodiles are capable of forming playful relationships, not only with each other but with other species such as river otters and even humans.
“A man who rescued a crocodile that had been shot became close friends with the animal. The croc would swim with his human friend, trying to startle him by suddenly pretending to attack him or by sneaking up on him from behind, and accept being hugged, and kissed on the snout,” said Dinets.
The study found that crocodiles participate in all three foremost kinds of play noted by behavior specialists: play involving movement, play with items and social play.
Crocodiles were seen having fun with food, wooden balls, noisy ceramic pieces and debris floating in the water. Instances of play also include young crocs regularly sliding down slopes and adult crocodiles riding ocean waves.
