“If that’s not object play, I don’t know what is.”
By Sarah Ashley
Published on Oct 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Dusty Rose is a formidable 11-foot crocodile with bright green eyes and a feisty disposition. For decades, she’s patrolled the Daintree River in Queensland, Australia, fiercely protecting her turf.
So when David White, owner and operator of Solar Whisper Wildlife Cruises, saw Dusty Rose gleefully playing with something the other day, he stopped to investigate.
Sure enough, the enormous croc was having a little fun … with a feather.
“The aim seemed to be to get it perched delicately on her snout,” White wrote in a post on Facebook. “Then with wide-eyed excitement, she wore it.”
Anytime the feather floated off of Dusty Rose’s snout, she emphatically moved her nose to get it back on. She played with the feather for a full 18 minutes.
“Over and over again — feather on, feather off,” White wrote. “If that’s not object play, I don’t know what is.”
White, who’s spent almost every day for the past 28 years on the Daintree River, pointed out that many people don’t see this goofy side of crocodiles.
In Queensland, crocodiles are a protected species known for their patience and stealth. Though they can’t breathe under water, they can hang out beneath the surface for up to an hour, waiting for a meal.
Crocodiles in Northern Australia typically spend their time moving between rivers, swamps and the coastline, looking for food or a mate. If threatened, they’re not afraid to use their powerful jaws to protect themselves.
Dusty Rose is a prime example of an Australian crocodile.
As one of the largest and oldest females in the area (White estimates she’s nearly 50 years old), Dusty has had to challenge other females who came too close to her life-long mate, Scarface.
She also once fought off a potential suitor who wouldn’t leave her alone, since Scarface is her one-and-only.
“She’s not scared of fighting,” White told The Dodo. “It’s unusual for females to hit the males. So she was [a] very brave lady warrior.”
Though White had never seen Dusty Rose playing before, he said that doesn’t mean it never happens.
In fact, based on her enthusiasm over the feather, she’s probably played with “toys” before, like any other animal does.
As one person commented on White’s Facebook post: “This is not a crocodile. This is a cat with midnight zoomies.”
You can learn more about Solar Whisper Wildlife Cruises, a zero-emission and wildlife-friendly business, on their website.
Related
Baby Elephant Was All Alone Until He Fell In Love With An Orphaned Buffalo
They even sleep next to each other 😍
Want more animals?
Get a daily dose of uplifting animal stories straight to your inbox
Subscribe
By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.
Dodo Shows
00:03
03:38
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.723.0_en.html#deid=%22%22&eventfe_experiment_ids=%5B%5D&fid=%22goog_441753496%22&genotype_experiment_data=%7B%22experimentStateProto%22%3A%22%5B%5B%5B45713128%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B803064088%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45681221%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45722344%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45706017%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685340%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45663239%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45715032%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45675307%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45675308%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45702384%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45726365%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45692337%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45688859%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45656766%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710689%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710688%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C500%5D%5D%2C%5B775241416%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107958%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45658982%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45725657%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B%5B16%2C%5B%5B1%2C%5B%5B31089630%5D%2C%5B31089631%2C%5B%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B31092099%5D%2C%5B31092100%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B31094192%5D%2C%5B31094193%2C%5B%5B775241416%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1000%2C%5B%5B95332046%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95332047%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95333808%5D%2C%5B95333809%2C%5B%5B635466687%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95338769%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95338770%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C2%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95345206%5D%2C%5B95345207%2C%5B%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95351425%5D%2C%5B95351426%2C%5B%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95356068%5D%2C%5B95356069%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356070%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356071%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B100%2C%5B%5B95364127%5D%2C%5B95364128%2C%5B%5B45706017%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B100%2C%5B%5B95365753%2C%5B%5B45710689%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95365754%2C%5B%5B45710688%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95366606%5D%2C%5B95366607%2C%5B%5B45713128%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95370402%5D%2C%5B95370403%2C%5B%5B45722344%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95371971%5D%2C%5B95371972%2C%5B%5B45725657%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95372277%5D%2C%5B95372278%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C745150931%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95373378%2C%5B%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95373379%2C%5B%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1000%2C1%2C1000%5D%5D%22%7D&imalib_experiments=%5B44752711%2C95322027%2C95331589%2C95332046%5D&managed_js_experiment_id=0&pvsid=8229670773986944Guy And His Dog Are Visiting All 50 States On A Motorcycle
Read Full Article
Australian Surfers Stunned When They Find Antarctic Animal On Beach
He was 2,000 miles from home!
When you go surfing, you might expect to encounter seagulls, fish or maybe even a shark. So when surfers on an Australian beach spotted an enormous bird emerge from the waves last month, they were taken aback.
“It was massive, it was way bigger than a sea bird, and we’re like, ‘What is that thing coming out of the water?’” Aaron Fowler, a surfer who spotted the bird, told the Australian Broadcast Corporation. “It stood up in the waves and just waddled straight up to us.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPtcfgzodV/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=810&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedodo.com&rp=%2Fdaily-dodo%2Faustralian-surfers-stunned-when-they-find-antarctic-animal-on-beach#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A15134.100000000035%2C%22ls%22%3A15073.100000000035%2C%22le%22%3A15074.900000000023%7D
As the bird got closer, it became clear he was far from home — he was tall, had a black-and-white body and a yellow neck. He was none other than an emperor penguin.
While Australia is home to one species of miniature penguin, emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, which is separated from the beach where the bird was found by over 2,000 miles of ocean. No emperor penguin has ever been known to travel all the way to Australia.
While no one is certain why this particular penguin ended up so far from home, it’s likely that he started following a strong current while on a hunting trip. While emperor penguins are known to travel up to 1,000 miles in search of food, 2,000 miles is unheard of.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C–m2Myq7rN/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=810&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedodo.com&rp=%2Fdaily-dodo%2Faustralian-surfers-stunned-when-they-find-antarctic-animal-on-beach#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A15137.100000000035%2C%22ls%22%3A15073.100000000035%2C%22le%22%3A15074.900000000023%7D
Because of his incredibly long journey, the penguin was underweight and weakened. He was half the weight of a healthy adult emperor penguin.
Wildlife rescuers Carol and Graham Biddulph took the penguin in for some much-needed recuperation. They nicknamed him Gus, after the Roman emperor Augustus.
As the wildlife rescuers cared for Gus, he started getting his strength back. In just three weeks, he had gained almost 8 pounds.
“The care, attention and efforts of Carol and Graham Biddulph has given the Antarctic bird, found thousands of kilometres outside of its home range and in a different climate, a fighting chance of survival,” a representative from Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) wrote in a press release.
Once Gus started feeling better, it was time for him to return to the wild.
A team of veterinarians and wildlife experts transported him back to the Antarctic Ocean, where he swam back into the frigid water he calls home. Hopefully, he stays put this time.
Related
He Lived In A Hotel Parking Lot For 2 Months Until Someone Decided To Help
Now he’s looking for a forever home 🥺
Want more animals?
Get a daily dose of uplifting animal stories straight to your inbox
Subscribe
By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.