Giant Crocodile Dies At Florida Gator Farm

Gomek, a 17-foot-9, 1,900-pound reptile billed as the largest crocodile in captivity, has died at a Florida alligator farm.

Gomek’s size made him a favorite of tourists at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park.

The porosus crocodile, captured in New Guinea in the 1950s, was believed to have been 60 to 80 years old when he died, said owners of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park. Members of the species are believed to live up to 90 years.

Gomek died Thursday, before a scheduled feeding that would have been watched by about 100 visitors to the wildlife attraction.

The cause of death hadn’t been determined yet, said Bill Puckett, director of the attraction.

The crocodile was brought to St. Augustine in 1989, after being kept in private collections in Australia and elsewhere in Florida.