World’s biggest crocodile is dead: 110-year-old Cassius passes away in Australia after weeks of declining health

The world’s largest crocodile has died in captivity at the age of 110.

Cassius who weighed more than one ton and measured 18 feet long, had been in declining health since October his caretakers said.

The beast held the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest a saltwater crocodile in captivity. 

He took the title after the 2013 death of Philippines crocodile Lolong, who measured 6.17 m (20 ft 3 in) long, according to Guinness.

Before his life in captivity the knobbly monster was known to prowl the waterways of Australia before being taken to Marineland Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat on Green Island, off the coast of Cairns, Queensland. 

Green Island Marineland Melanesia’s George Craig (pictured) feeding Cassius who has died at the age of 110

At the time of his capture, Cassius was estimated to be between 30 and 80 years old

In a post on Facebook, his caretakers said: ‘He was very old and believed to be living beyond the years of a wild Croc.

‘Cassius will be deeply missed, but our love and memories of him will remain in our hearts forever.’

The group’s website said he had lived at the sanctuary since 1987 after being transported from the neighbouring Northern Territory.

Crocodiles are a key part of the region’s tourist industry and Cassius became the star attraction.

Cassius, a crocodile notorious for causing trouble, was captured in 1984 near a cattle station on the Finniss River, southwest of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.

At the time of his capture, Cassius was estimated to be between 30 and 80 years old and set the record as the largest crocodile ever captured alive in Australia.

‘He had these big eyes that you’d look into and you could look into his soul,’ one of his former keepers, Toody Scott, told AAP.

‘He always had this spark about him, which is very different to working with other crocs.’

Cassius was captured in 1984 near a cattle station on the Finniss River, southwest of Darwin

Before his life a captivity Cassius was known to prowl the waterways of Australia before being taken to Marineland Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat

Three years after his capture, he was moved to Green Island by crocodile hunter George Craig, who had founded Marineland Melanesia back in 1969.

Scott said the croc had an especially close bond with his caretaker Craig and the pair would sit quietly together for ‘hours on end’.

Scott said: ‘In the last couple of years, George has been getting around on a mobility scooter and every time he came near the enclosure, Cassius would come over to him.’