‘Vegetarian’ crocodile of Kerala temple dies 

If you are from Kerala, you would know about the famous Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Temple, located in the Kasaragod district of Thiruvananthapuram. This Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In fact, Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala in Malayalam literally means “The City of Lord Ananta (Vishnu).”  

Now, if you have ever visited the temple or have heard stories about it, you would also most definitely know about a celebrity who lived in the premises. We are talking about the legendary crocodile named Babiya, who was popular for being a vegetarian and lived peacefully in the adjoining pond, without ever bothering or harming the devotees. In fact, Babiya survived solely on temple offerings (after pujas twice a day), such as rice and jaggery. Unfortunately, very recently, this revered crocodile passed away at the ripe old age of 75.  

While not much is known about how the giant animal ended up in the temple premises (there are no rivers or other water bodies in the vicinity from where she could have swum from), the entire Kerala knew about this distinguished resident of the temple pond who called it home for over seven decades. Legends however have it that a British soldier had shot a crocodile at the same shrine in 1945 and a few days later, Babiya had emerged. 

And now, finally, Babiya has died as a legend. She was often deemed as “god’s own crocodile” and was believed to guard the temple. Maybe that’s why, there was as such no official guards appointed to look after the religious site. Experts believe that her abstinence from devouring meat and friendly and gentle nature elevated her to the ‘divine status.’  

Are you wondering what we have been wondering for so long? Are crocodiles even vegetarian? Well, turns out, when these reptiles first evolved during the prehistoric ages, they were indeed herbivores. However, throughout evolutionary history, only the carnivorous kinds were left behind.  

In fact, now many know, but back in 2009, scientists had discovered that crocodiles did have a varied diet in the Mezozoic age (age of reptiles, 252 to 66 million years ago). These were found from fossils that revealed that extinct species of crocodiles often survived on both plants and meat, and sometimes just plants. This study of vegetarian phase of crocodiles was published in the scientific journal Current Biology. In addition, the revered Smithsonian Magazine also reported a few years ago that most species of crocodiles do enjoy fruits and vegetables. Sounds bizarre, isn’t it?  

Bonus fact: Reptiles such as iguanas and tortoises that have still survived, are known for their plant-based diet.