Suta - St. Augustine, FL
N 29° 52.928 W 081° 17.357
17R E 472066 N 3305759
Suta is the name of a beautiful wood-carved crocodile at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WMAZ8H
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/14/2011
Views: 7
A sign by the wood carving reads as follows:
This spectacular crocodile was hand-carved on the Pacific island of Timor from a single Rain Tree.
Also known as Tropical Oak, or Suar, this Asian hardwood is characterized by criss-crossed and interlocking grain that resist cracking.
Collected in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia in October 2009.
The following information is from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Summer 2010 Newsletter:
The Legend of Suta
Suta comes to us from the island of Timor in Indonesia where he was hand carved from a single Asian mahogany tree. The artist who made Suta was most likely inspired by the world’s largest species of
crocodilian, the Saltwater Crocodile, which can be found in Indonesia. Suta likes to spend his days on his platform where he has a good view all the Alligator Farm visitors. He loves attention and enjoys listening to people admire his impressive jaws. It is rumored that saying “selamat pagi” (good morning in Indonesian) to Suta pleases the crocodile and brings good luck.