SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – Zoo Miami is celebrating the hatching of an endangered crocodile species, the first birth of its kind at the zoo in over 25 years.
The false gavial crocodile was born Sept. 1 and was one of two that emerged from 25 eggs. The second hatchling did not survive.
The baby's parents are Nessi and Lockjaw, a 45-year-old male who is also the largest crocodile at Zoo Miami at 14 feet long.
False gavials from Indonesia and Malaysia are extremely rare, with less than 2,500 being known to exist in the wild.
Despite their 80 sharp teeth, false gavials are not considered dangerous to humans, with only one documented case of an attack on man.