4/28/06
Australia Zoo
I was asked if I was going to stop by Steve Irwin's place on the way
north from Brisbane, and I wasn't sure if I should. For those who don't
know Steve Irwin, he's better known here and in the United States as
"The Crocodile Hunter." In America, he is the host to a show on The
Discovery Channel, and was famous in Australia
before bringing his Aussie catch phrases like "Crikey" to the States.
In the early 70s, his parents opened a reptile park in Beerwa, about an
hour north of Brisbane. Their enthusiasm and dedication rubbed off on a
young Steve Irwin to take over the family business in the 80s. Steve
had a knack for working with the Crocodiles, and seeing him
wrestle with one of these 10 foot reptiles was always part of the
attraction to the park. Unfortunately, his worldwide fame has also been
a little
embarrassing for some Australians. Much like Paul Hogan of "Crocodile
Dundee" fame of the 80s, Australians don't want the world to think of
them all as khaki-short-wearing-bush-men that like to wrestle the local
wildlife. I felt that visiting Irwin's place, now called "Australia
Zoo" was akin to visiting an over the top Las Vegas casino for a slice
of Americana. My friends convinced me that even with the possible "tack
factor" it was actually a good zoo and worth taking a look.
If you wanted to see fresh water crocodiles, american alligators, and
saltwater crocs, you came to the right place. Everywhere we looked
there were these prehistoric looking creatures lurking under the water
watching us.
The park had several demonstrations throughout the day featuring many
animals in the park, but the main attraction was the crocodile. The
Australian crocodile is pretty common in Queensland and every year,
there are human fatalities from croc attacks. The staff explained that
many of these deaths often occur when alcohol is involved, and
reminded us that crocodiles don't drink! They also showed how easily
these animals can move under water without a ripple to be seen on the
surface, as in this picture. The ridges and bumps on their
backs are designed to cancel the waves of each other so the water is
not disturbed by their movements if they stay submerged! As the trainer
moved about the pool, this croc would home in on the vibrations of
person's footsteps,
which is also how they find their prey at the water's edge.
The demonstration gave three rules in staying safe when in crocodile
country. First, stay out of the water. Many of the saltwater estuaries
in Queesland have crocks waiting to pounce on anything that comes near
the water. Second, give yourself plenty of room when walking near a
body of water. Crocodiles are large animals, and are fast only for
short distances. If you are far enough away from the water when one
comes out of the water, you can escape by running away. The third
rule,...I
can't remember, but with the knowledge of the first two, I'm not taking
any chances by the water in Queensland!
Oh yeah, this picture reminded me of the third rule. Never hang out or
climb out over water in a something like a tree branch. Crocodiles can
leap pretty far out of the water and pull you in. Once they have a hold
of you, they'll try to drown you. They can hold their breath for hours,
and put you in a death spin until you're out of air.
I learned quite a lot about crocodiles during our visit which prepares
us for our trip north deep into crocodile country, but I also learned
why Steve Irwin is so popular. He and his wife are truly dedicated to
the
animals in this zoo. The enclosures are large, and well
landscaped. The animals are often allowed to roam free and are not kept
in small pens for the visitors. Many are moved from their daytime
enclosures to sleep in another part of the park, which gives more room
to move. Even smaller enclosures are larger than one's I've seen in
other zoos and painted with some nice dioramas. It was definitely the
nicest zoo we've been to in Australia, and I highly recommend you visit
if you're in the Brisbane area. I'm glad I put aside my preconceived
notion of Steve Irwin, and had a great time!
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