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Playing crocodiles

Crocodiles love to play. Who knew?

A male crocodile gives a piggyback ride to his lifelong female partner. Credit: Vladimir Dinets

Next time you’re enjoying a splashabout in water, think of crocodiles. Not to keep safe – there’s little danger you’ll see any in the UK – but because it turns out that crocodiles like a good splashabout just as much as we do.

We normally think of crocodiles as quite serious, but Vladimir Dinet, a research assistant professor in psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (USA), has spent ten years watching crocodiles. He has seen them playing about, with each other, with a river otter and people, and with wooden balls.

Professor Dinet says that a man who rescued a crocodile that had been shot in the head became close friends with the animal and they played together happily every day until the crocodile died 20 years later.

But, just in case you spot a crocodile in the water, don’t wait to find out if he wants to play. You don’t want to find out too late he’s hungry.

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