'Smart critter': Whitie the albino alligator, who only gets cranky when he misses a meal
Whitie and his handler, Rene Renz
Tasty snack: Whitie's distinctive colouring would have made him an instant target for other alligators had he been left in the wild
Whitie is the smartest critter in the place," says Rene Renz, owner of the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen in Germany.
"He's clever, kind and I don't mind hugging him any time - except when he's hungry. He tends to get a bit snappy if he misses a meal."
The 16 stone, five-year-old gator is on loan from a zoo in Florida.
He was found in the swamps of Lousiana as a baby. A good job too - the lack of skin pigmentation meant that Whitey would not have survived in the wild.
Not because he doesn't have all the innate skills to capture prey: but his unique colour, or lack thereof, would have marked him out as an instant snack for bigger alligators.
He is one of only ten albino alligators and crocodiles in the world - and the only one currently in Europe.
After his German gig ends at the beginning of May he will be touring other animal parks in Europe for the rest of the year.
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