Today, the Australian Reptile Park keepers undertook a highly dangerous task. Ten, new, huge adult male alligators arrived from friends of the park, Australia Zoo. The alligators arrived via transport this morning and required all hands on deck as keepers took on the physical task of introducing the alligators into their new home.
Already home to 45 adult alligators, the process is considered extremely dangerous and certainly keeps the hearts of staff racing. Zookeepers had to keep their wits about them as they opened each box with hearts pounding, hoping the alligators turned to the water and not to them.
Australian Reptile Park Director, Tim Faulkner said “You can never have too many alligators! It’s been a crazy morning, with a few close calls there. The ground is still wet and still slippery from recent rainy weather which added an extra element of danger. We all were kept on edge all morning but are happy to report all of the gators are safe in their new home.”
“We didn’t know what sort of alligator was going to come out of each box as we opened them. Was this one going to be nice? Or was it going to come charging out with us being the first thing it sees? We were kept on our toes, that’s for sure!”
Commenting on the process, Head of Reptiles Daniel Rumsey added, “One slight step out of place can cost you, so we are very careful to follow a well-thought-out plan and ensure the safety of all staff in such a mammoth task. We’re so glad to see it was a success and all of the gators have begun to settle in and are swimming around happily.”
Keepers will now keep a close eye on the new arrivals, ensuring they are continuing to settle in nicely with the other alligators. Thankfully, there were no incidents today during the move in and all is going swimmingly.
Most of the new alligators have been named after famous rappers with Notorious B.I.G, Flavor Flav and Tupac being just a few of the new arrivals.
With another 10 alligators arriving last week, the Australian Reptile Park now has 55 American alligators, the largest population living in Australia.