Baby Alligator arrives at the Tropical Butterfly House

The Tropical Butterfly House in North Anston, near Sheffield, welcomes a baby Alligator!

The Alligator is an American Alligator on loan from the UK’s only Crocodile Zoo, Crocodiles of the World. It has been named Jackson after the US state capital of Mississippi where American Alligators are commonly found in the wild.

American Alligators can live up to around 35-50 years old in the wild (60-80 years in captivity), and can grow to up to just over 12 feet long! Jackson is just 2 years old, and only 16 inches long at the moment. Visitors will be able to meet Jackson during some of the twice daily Exotic Animal Encounters, along with lots of other amazing creatures including Snakes, Insects, Lizards, and adorable Hedgehog-like Tenrec.

There are only 2 species of Alligators in the world; the Chinese Alligator, and the American Alligator. The Chinese Alligator is sadly critically endangered in the wild. The Tropical Butterfly House are now raising money through the sale of wristbands for the Chinese Alligator Fund. The fund aims to secure and improve existing habitats, continue the Chinese Alligator breeding programme, and set up education, and ecotourism projects.

The Tropical Butterfly House has an array of reptiles on display in the Butterfly House and Nocturnal Room, including 2 adult Caiman Crocodiles.

There are 23 species of Crocodiles in the world, 6 of which are critically endangered in the wild, including the Gharial Crocodile. The Tropical Butterfly House are now raising money through the sale of wristbands for the Gharial’s Conservation Alliance’s Gharial Ecology Project. The projects aim is to stem the decline of Gharials by focusing on habitat protection, enforcement of protected areas, education, and cooperation with local people.