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For many, the image of an American crocodile is not one readily associated with romance. The apex predator’s appearance, with a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth packing a bite force of over 900 pounds, and a body armored in thick scales, dates back millions of years. Crocodiles—as are the rest of crocodilians—typically evoke fear and awe upon those who look at them.

At Sarasota Jungle Gardens, however, that narrative is beginning to shift. Two of the organization's American crocodiles, Dominic and Kananga, have started to mate. American crocodiles breed annually in the spring—after the creation of a nest, the female will lay eggs that could produce hatchlings after a roughly 90-day incubation period. While Domonic, a 47-year-old male crocodile, and Kananga, a 45-year-old female, have yet to create a nest, their mutual attraction has already cleared the first hurdle to reproduction. Although one might assume that mating between two crocodiles would come instinctively, the process requires a finer touch. “They have more human characteristics than we would think,” says Alan Gillespie, head of entertainment at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. “Because they’ve been around since dinosaurs, people would assume that it’s more instinctual, but it’s the same courtship that humans have.”

The introduction of Domonic and Kananga was a carefully managed, months-long process that took years of planning. Initially, there were three sections, with a pool in the front enclosure that housed Dominic and a pool in the back enclosure that Kanaga was moved to around a year and a half ago. “We put Kananga in the back enclosure so that she and Dominic could hear and smell each other, as if they were on a date. Then, we took down the shade cloth in the middle, so that they could see each other,” says Gillespie. “Last December, we took down the fence and around January, Kananga came over and was interested in Dominic.”

With both crocodiles sharing one large enclosure, Gillespie uses the opportunity to educate guests on how special these two animals are. “Everybody knows about alligators, but Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist,” says Gillespie.

Sarasota Jungle Gardens, 3701 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota.

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