On 18th August, Kruger National Park in South Africa posted an unusual video on their YouTube channel. The short, 3-minute-video shows a mother crocodile trying to protect her eggs from two overly-greedy monitor lizards.
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The crocodile had just finished burying its babies in the sand before moving away quietly to settle under the bushes and enjoy a little shade. However, the mother continued to watch over her children and never took her eyes off them.
Lizards attack
At that moment, two very hungry monitor lizards passed by. Intrigued, they started to dig where the eggs were buried, at which point the crocodile intervened and did everything she could to protect and defend her offspring and make the thieves leave.
For a long time, the lizards tried but failed to steal what they were trying to get their hands on. However, during a moment of weakness and a lack of attention from the young mother, one of the monitor lizards did manage to grab one of the eggs and run away with its future meal.
Kruger Park released the following statement:
The crocodile tried to chase the lizards away for some time, but the monitors prevailed and got what they came for… Some fresh eggs.
Monitor lizards are considered to be ‘opportunistic carnivores’. They feed on whatever they can find including fish, molluscs and larvae but they are also known to eat other reptiles and even birds. But above all, what they really love is crocodile eggs…
