Crocodile Encounter staff, supporters had to scramble to save its rare crocodiles

Heat-tolerant reptiles survive the freeze at Crocodile Encounter

By CORINNA RICHARDSON corinna.richardson@thefacts.com
Corinna Richardson

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Feb 24, 2021
Feb 24, 2021 Updated Feb 25, 2021
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Head Keeper Jayde Reioux stands in the park at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. The park had to shelter many of the animals and use generators borrowed from friends to protect the animals from freezing temperatures.

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An albino American alligator, the first born in Texas, sits underneath a lamp Friday at Crocodile Encounter. Like the other alligators at the park, it weathered the winter storm since it’s native to the area and is temperature tolerant.

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Crocodile Encounter owner Chris Dieter explains how he and his staff were able to protect the animals at the park amid freezing temperature throughout the week. Many of the animals, particularly the crocodiles had to be kept inside a barn warmed by generators. "We've been really really fortunate," Dieter said.

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A lemur looks around the park shortly after eating breakfast at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. The lemurs were able to remain heated where they were as temperatures dropped earlier in the week and threatened the safety of other animals at the park.

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A group of tortoises shelter inside a barn at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. All but two animals at the park survived the winter weather after owner Chris Dieter borrowed generators from friends to keep the animals not built for cold temperatures safe.

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Crocodile Encounter owner Chris Dieter stands among the tortoises as they keep warm in a barn at the park in Angleton on Friday. After sheltering in the barn through the winter weather, the tortoises were ready to get back outside.

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An empty pond is seen at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. As temperatures dropped below freezing, most of the animals at the park had to be moved inside barns where they could keep warm enough to survive the winter weather.

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Nile crocodiles gather in the "croc barn" to keep warm at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. After power outages, owner Chris Dieter had to borrow generators to keep the crocodiles warm enough to survive.

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Nile crocodiles sit together in a heated barn at Crocodile Encounter in Angleton on Friday. With no heat, owner Chris Dieter borrowed generators to keep the animals warm.

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Alvero, one of many crocodiles at Crocodile Encounter, keeps warm in the “croc barn” on Friday. Crocodiles are not temperature tolerant, and needed to be kept warm to survive the freezing temperatures that descended upon Texas earlier in the week.