Pictured: The remains of the crocodile that was discovered under floor boards of a school in Pentre, Wales, UK
Re: A 120-year-old crocodile has been put on display at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt in Pentre, Wales, UK.
The remains have been meticulously conserved after it was remarkably discovered underneath the floorboards of a classroom.
Pupils at the school arrived at school on Wednesday to see the giant saltwater crocodile, which was discovered by workmen in June...
more »

Pictured: The remains of the crocodile that was discovered under floor boards of a school in Pentre, Wales, UK
Re: A 120-year-old crocodile has been put on display at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt in Pentre, Wales, UK.
The remains have been meticulously conserved after it was remarkably discovered underneath the floorboards of a classroom.
Pupils at the school arrived at school on Wednesday to see the giant saltwater crocodile, which was discovered by workmen in June 2019 when delivering a series of school improvements. The Council has worked with Pure Conservation, a Welsh company with expertise in conservation for heritage collections, to help safely restore the crocodile.
There was no information accompanying the workmen’s finding, but a story about a crocodile being associated with the school has been told across many generations. The tale describes a local person who served in the First World War bringing back the body of a crocodile as a souvenir for the school. It is thought that the crocodile was then put on display, and was hidden beneath the floorboards to protect it during later times of conflict. An inspection of the crocodile’s bones by Pure Conservation dates it back to before the 1900s.
Pure Conservation carried out its work from September 2019 to December 2021, thanks to the dedicated work of conservator Doctor Victoria Purewal and artist Annette Marie Townsend, who specialises in Natural History.
The crocodile had suffered significant damage having been left unprotected for potentially 100 years. Its entire underside was missing, along with its feet and the base of its tail, while its teeth had fallen out and its general condition was very poor. The entire body was initially frozen to remove pests and was tested for dangerous materials, before the crocodile was then wet cleaned.
The process has involved meticulously dry cleaning the crocodile’s entire body, with separate pieces vacuumed to remove frass, dirt, cobwebs and soil.
The bones we
« less