Female Nile crocodiles lay 25-75 eggs, which are covered with sand and closely guarded for up to three months while they incubate. When they are ready to hatch, the young begin to call and their mother digs them out and carries them to the water. The hatchlings are about 30 cm long and feed on insects.
Populations were bought nearly to extinction in the mid-20th century, as the Nile crocodile was hunted for leather and meat. National protections and international trade regulations have helped them rebound in many areas. The species is still threatened by illegal hunting, pollution and habitat loss. There are an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 species left in the wild.
The photographs of the Nile crocodiles were taken at Basel Zoo.