Born in 1930 in the now-closed Reptile Jungle in Slidell, Louisiana, she arrived in Płock in 1960 and has since become a local celebrity.
'No other zoo animal of her age on the continent'
"She’s our senior citizen and our star,” says zoo spokeswoman Magda Kowalkowska. "This year’s birthday celebration is extra special, because there’s no other zoo animal of her age on the continent."
To mark the milestone, the zoo is throwing Marta a birthday party on Saturday, complete with workshops, children's activities, crocodile-themed contests, and a large cake shaped like a crocodile.
A feeding show will also be held in her honour.
Marta lives in a specially upgraded terrarium, gifted to her earlier this year to ensure maximum comfort in her advanced years.
Although her activity has decreased, she remains in stable condition, fed once a week on beef or freshwater fish such as roach and bream.
“She’s a gentle alligator who’s always accepted her keepers,” says Kowalkowska.
Brush with fame
Marta also had a brush with fame: in 1970, she appeared as the crocodile Herman in Hydrozagadka, a cult Polish television comedy directed by Andrzej Kondratiuk.
“There’s a story we love to tell,” says Kowalkowska. “During filming at the Zegrzyński Reservoir, there was a moment of panic when it looked like Marta might escape into the lake. Thankfully she didn’t – she wouldn’t have survived the winter.”
Marta was brought to Poland thanks to the efforts of Tadeusz Wągrowski, a Polish engineer living in the United States, who bought her and a male alligator named Pedro for around USD 1,000 as part of Płock’s “Crocodile Campaign”—a fundraising initiative to collect books for the Polish diaspora in Argentina.
The pair arrived aboard the ship M/S Generał Bem in August 1960, a gift from Wągrowski and his wife.
Marta has preferred her own company, however, and rejected every potential mate, including Pedro, who was soon relocated to Wrocław Zoo.
Marta's competitor for the tile of oldest living alligator is Belgrade Zoo's Muja, though his hatching date is uncertain.
American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) can reach up to 6 metres in length and weigh up to 300 kilograms. In the wild, they typically live between 30 and 50 years, while in captivity individuals often reach 70 or 80 years of age.
Marta has far surpassed that, becoming not just a record-breaker, but a cherished symbol of the Płock Zoo, which overlooks the Vistula River and houses more than 4,700 animals from over 440 species.
Since 2002, Płock Zoo has been a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). None of its animals commands quite the same affection as its beloved—and now 95-year-old—Marta.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP