Australian crocodile, 5,48 meters long, who held the world record for the largest crocodile in captivity, has died, the wildlife sanctuary said Saturday. He was thought to be over 110 years old. Cassius, who weighs more than a ton, had been in poor health since October 15, Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat posted on Facebook.

"He was very old and believed to have lived beyond the years of a wild crocodile," the organization, based on Green Island, near the Queensland resort town of Cairns, said in a statement.

"Cassius will be greatly missed, but our love and memories of him will remain in our hearts forever."

The group's website says he has lived at the sanctuary since 1987, after being transferred from the neighboring Northern Territory where crocodiles are a key part of the region's tourism industry.

Cassius, a saltwater crocodile, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest crocodile in captivity.

He took the title after the death of the Philippine crocodile Lolong in 2013, which according to Guinness was 6,17 meters long.