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8 ANIMAL 8 Ready to explore the world? Available where all good books are sold PHILIPPINE CROCODILE // Named after an island in the northern Philippines, Luzon is a 21-year-old male Philippine Crocodile who lives at Melbourne Zoo and can lay claim to having dinosaur ancestors. "Birds and crocodilians are each other's closest living relatives, with a common ancestor: archosaurs. Millions of years ago, archosaurs diverged into two separate lineages, the crocodile-line and bird-line archosaurs," says Alex Mitchell, Ectotherms Keeper at Melbourne Zoo. As the Philippine Crocodile is the most threatened species of crocodile in the world, it's worth paying Luzon a special visit on your next trip to Melbourne Zoo. You can find him in the Reptile House. Zoos Victoria aids the conservation of the Philippine Crocodile through a long-term partnership with the Mabuyawa Foundation Inc. Name PHILIPPINE CROCODILE Status CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Class REPTILE LC NT VU EN CR EW EX Least concern Critically Endangered Extinct CR Region PHILIPPINES fyi SEE FOR YOURSELF Find Zillie the Cassowary and the Philippine Crocodile next time you visit Melbourne Zoo. You'll be able to spot Zillie by visiting the Gorilla Rainforest, located near the main gate.