Naturalized specimen of Nile crocodile about 4 meters long. The crocodile was one of the most coveted trophies in Count de Reali’s hunts: likely it is the capture of this specimen that is narrated in the diary kept by his wife Amelia while traveling in Congo, one of the five expeditions in which she accompanied her husband. This large reptile inhabits rivers, lakes and ponds of south-central Africa where it is still quite abundant despite having been widely hunted in the past for its skin. Currently, its existence is threatened by habitat loss and, as a large and dangerous predator, due to the conflict with man, who sometimes destroys its nests and kills the adults.