Croc! Living with crocs accessibility tour

You are moving into a new section. A panel on the wall summarises this section with the following text:

LIVING WITH CROCS

Australians and crocodiles have lived together for many thousands of years.

Over that time, our relationship with them has varied.

Crocodiles have been both ruthlessly hunted and diligently protected.

They make us money through farming and tourism – dead and alive.

Croc populations are recovering from near-extinction, while human populations are increasing – so crocodile–human interactions are rising.

Researchers and rangers work to protect crocodiles and people from each other.

(EGGCELLENT HARVEST)

A text panel gives context for the photos displayed nearby. It reads:

EGGCELLENT HARVEST

The Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation — [or] ASRAC — collect saltwater crocodile eggs and rear the hatchlings. [A quote from the group reads]:

“We are following the footprints from our old people. Crocodile was our food source and then came skin trading. We made this farm to build something for our children, this creates jobs and gives people independence.”

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Near the text panel are several colour photos of the ASRAC Rangers on the job:

a man crouches and reaches for an egg, at a newly located croc nest amongst thick vegetation.
a close-up of a croc egg nestled in the dirt, with a hand marking it with a carpenter’s pencil. This notes which side up the egg was: if the egg is rotated, the embryo will die.
three young women in ASRAC uniforms smile at the camera as they wash croc eggs over a metal trough.
a group of five rangers stand on a riverbank, three of them leaning on long wooden oars that are used to fend off crocs. The quote beneath this photo reads: “When we see the first lightning strike, we know it is time to find nests”.

Beside the photographs, mounted on the wall are items frequently used by the ASRAC team:

an olive-green shirt with embroidered logo patches on the upper sleeves
a blue rectangular plastic tub with replica croc eggs inside, a carpenter’s pencil, and a handheld communication device
a 2.5-metre-long wooden oar covered in scratches and dents.

(STOCK CROCS)

A text panel on the wall gives context for the nearby photos and displays.

The panel reads:

STOCK CROCS

Did you know that crocodiles are farmed like sheep and cattle?

There are over 20 crocodile farms across northern Australia, many owned by luxury fashion brands, and worth over $120 million to the Australian economy. They almost exclusively farm saltwater crocs, as they have the best skins for high-end fashion. The crocs are either bred by the farms or raised from eggs collected from the wild.

It’s controversial. Supporters say farming reduces illegal hunting, while those against raise concerns about animal welfare.

HISTORY:

1966: Former croc hunters the Pawlowski’s start a research farm at Karumba to test how to grow crocs in captivity. It closes in 1968.

1972: First commercial farm opens at the Edward River Mission, North Queensland, operated by the Pormpuraaw Aboriginal community.

1979: The Northern Territory opens its first farm at Noonamah, just south of Darwin.

(MAKING A KILLING)

A text panel on the wall gives context for the nearby photos and displays. The panel reads:

MAKING A KILLING

Australian crocodiles were hunted for sport, skins and safety.

Before 1900, there were an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the NT, but hunting almost wiped them out. Tough, rifle-wielding (mostly) men became the stuff of legend, making a dangerous living, often aided by unacknowledged Indigenous hunters.

Commercial hunting intensified after World War II, and by 1958, it is estimated 87,000 wild skins had been exported from the NT.

This unregulated hunting had an enormous impact on Indigenous communities, where crocodiles integral to kinship, totems, customs and ceremony disappeared from Country they’d shared for thousands of years.

Regulation didn’t begin until the 1970s, but now Australian crocodiles are [a] protected species under federal law. Populations have bounced back; a conservation success story for a resilient animal.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOS:

Five black and white photos show various croc hunters posing with their kills, including:

A woman, Dulcie Campbell, in a white sleeveless dress and wide-brim hat, poses with one hand on her hip, and the other holding a rifle, as she stands in front of two, 2-metre-long freshwater crocs strung up by their snouts.
A man, Jack Ross, stands in front of a branch on a riverbank with three croc skins draped over it.
A child peers over the snout of a dead croc, which has its jaws propped open with a log, as a man and a woman with rifles stand on the riverbank behind.

(RECORD-BREAKERS)

A text panel on the wall gives further context for this section. The panel reads:

RECORD-BREAKERS

Polish immigrants Ron and Krys Pawlowski began crocodile hunting in 1956, to support their family. The husband-and-wife team used shark hooks tied to trees. Once a croc was caught, they pulled it in and shot it.

In 1957, Krys shot to fame (literally) by killing an 8.63-metre saltie, the largest recorded (though its size wasn’t verified).

But by the mid-1960s, the Pawlowskis realised crocs were in trouble. They transitioned to farming and campaigned for Australian crocs to be protected species.

(SURVIVORS’ STORIES)

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Towards the corner of this section is the front half of a real tinnie — a small, lightweight, aluminium boat. Behind it are two metal benches – like the type you find inside a tinnie, on which you can sit and listen to real crocodile-attack survivor stories playing on a loop from an overhead speaker. A floor-to-ceiling screen, positioned at the front of the tinnie, displays the storytellers’ videos. Please be advised that these stories describe traumatic events.

A text panel on the wall gives context for this display. It reads:

SURVIVORS’ STORIES

Sit on the tinnie benches (tinnie is slang for an open aluminium boat) and hear [four stories] from croc attack survivors.

Warning: Recounts traumatic events.

Tom Nichols lost half a hand to a croc, and Johnny Banjo still has visible scars on his skull. Clarrie Nadjamerrek heroically saved nine-year-old Rodriguez, while Gary Lindner and Oliver Scheibe’s experience led to important safety changes.

This tinnie, used to do croc surveys, was 3.8 metres long – smaller than a big male saltie.

(ATTACKS)

A text panel on the wall reads:

ATTACKS

The deadliest animals in Australia are horses – they kill over 10 people a year, followed by cows, then dogs, then kangaroos!

Crocodiles are way down the list. On average, salties in Australia kill one or two people a year, mostly those swimming or fishing.

There are many more deaths in countries like Indonesia, where people must access waterways to wash, fish and collect water. All are recorded in the worldwide crocodilian attack database, compiled by researcher Brandon Sideleau.

Scan the QR code [on this sign] to explore the database.

Attacks on humans aren’t always about crocs feeling hungry.

They may be:

defending their territory
protecting their nests or young
acting in self-defence if threatened or accidentally stepped on
attacking humans by mistake while targeting their pets or fish catch.

Croc attacks are not random acts of aggression and can usually be avoided if people are careful in crocodile habitats.

(TOAD TRAINING)

A text panel on the wall reads:

TOAD TRAINING

How do you stop crocs poisoning themselves with cane toads? Train them not to!

Invasive cane toads poison and kill almost anything that eats them. When cane toads reach a new area, they can kill all the local crocs.

Freshwater crocs are top predators, so losing them has a huge impact on the ecosystem. They are also culturally significant to the Traditional Owners.

Scientists, led by Dr Georgia Ward-Fear, the Bunuba rangers and the WA government are using Condition Taste Aversion (CTA) training to save the freshies.

They catch cane toads, remove the toxins and inject lithium chloride. Then they stake them along the waterways.

If a croc eats a CTA toad, the lithium chloride makes them feel a bit sick, but they soon recover and will have learnt not to eat toads.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Beside this text panel is a small perspex box mounted on the wall. Inside it is a replica cane toad about the size of a large fist, and above this, a black and white photo of a riverbank with a pole jutting out from the mud, with bait at the end of the line and a croc’s head lifting out of the water in front of it.

(HOW TO BE CROCWISE)

A text panel on the wall gives context for this section. It reads:

HOW TO BE CROCWISE

This safety education campaign aims to reduce the risk of croc attacks.

Their advice includes:

Always obey crocodile warning signs.
Never swim or use small watercraft like kayaks and SUPs [stand-up paddleboards] where there may be crocs.
Keep out of the water and keep people and pets at least 5 metres from the water’s edge.
If you must approach the water, avoid crouching down and never use the same location twice.
Stay away from croc traps, nests and places with tracks and slide marks.
Never provoke or attack crocodiles and do not feed or leave food out for them.
Camp at least 50 metres from the water’s edge.
Never clean fish, discard scraps, prepare food or wash dishes at the water’s edge, and don’t leave food scraps at your campsite.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

A touchscreen on the wall invites you to watch and listen to the “Be Crocwise” advertising campaign. Using the touchscreen, select which language you’d like to hear in the video. English is one option alongside several First Nations languages.

(FAIR WARNING)

A text panel gives context for the collection of croc warning signs on display in this section. The panel reads:

FAIR WARNING

Crocodile warning signs are used to remind people they are in croc country.

The absence of a sign does not mean there are no crocodiles in the area.

If you see one, obey it – they are there for your own protection.

Permanent signs are used in croc habitats, and temporary signs are installed following sighting reports or incidents, to keep people informed.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Mounted high on the wall are 6 warning signs used by the Queensland and Northern Territory governments. The signs are bright yellow and red, or beige and brown. They have text that reads:

WARNING REPORTED CROCODILE SIGHTING - DO NOT ENTER WATER - KEEP AWAY FROM WATER’S EDGE
CROCODILE SAFETY WARNING

Some of the signs are translated into German with a diagram of a croc head with its jaws open inside a red-bordered triangle, and a red ‘strike-through’ diagram of stick people swimming.

(CROC MONITORING)

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

In a glass-topped table display, devices and equipment used for crocodile monitoring are arranged. These objects are donated by the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation — or DETSI. On display is:

a biopsy pole and sharps bin
vials from a DNA sampling kit. The object label reads: “Croc DNA tells us where crocs are from and how they’re related. But it can be dangerous collecting it! A biopsy punch on the end of an extendable pole is quick and effective”.
A replica croc head that’s been mounted with a satellite tag that resembles a garage-door remote control. The tracker is attached towards the back of the croc’s head between its large scales. The object label next to it reads: “Tags allow crocs to be tracked via satellite, telling researchers where crocs go and how long they stay there. Understanding croc behaviours and movements helps manage them safely”

Next to the DETSI objects, there are triangular sections cut out of the table.

Beneath these holes is real crocodile skin that can be touched.

(DRONE)

A text panel gives context for the overhead display. It reads:

SWELLPRO SPLASH DRONE 3+

In 2019, researchers developed a new way to capture crocodiles, using drones carrying a baited noose.

They skim bait across the water. Crocs are attracted by surface movement, so swim towards it.

When the croc grabs the bait, the drone tightens the noose on the top jaw and the boat comes in to complete the capture.

Drones are great for trapping wary crocs. The speed of capture (less than 15 minutes) reduces stress and the risk of injury.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Suspended overhead is a silver and red drone, about the size of a laptop, with four short arms extending from each corner. A propeller is at the end of each arm. Hanging down about 1 metre from the drone is a coiled rope and flotation buoy. Attached to the rope is a wire, with a loop at its end.

(STAY-AT-HOME CROCS)

A text panel on the wall gives context for the map displayed below. The panel reads:

STAY-AT-HOME CROCS

Queensland crocs are homebodies. Research shows 90% of them stay within 50 kilometres of their birthplace. In the Northern Territory, they roam more widely.

Wildlife rangers adapt their strategies to suit the behaviour of their local crocs.

In Queensland, croc management and research are managed through the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

Its researchers and rangers study and monitor crocs to gather accurate and up-to-date information. This helps them manage crocodile risks, inform the community and brief policymakers.

DESCRIPTION OF MAP:

A map shows an enlarged area of the western coast of Cape York in far north Queensland. The map shows river systems in this area and has colour-coded the travel range of three crocs.

The text beside the map reads:

Trackers on crocs show their movement, with their size and gender affecting how far they roam. Compare the tracks of these three.

JK: A 2.9-metre female who spends part of the year upstream, but in the wet season, heads to her nesting site in the wetlands.

TINY TIM: A nomadic 3.6-metre male, who has to keep moving until he can find a territory of his own.

DREW: A 4.34-metre boss croc who defends his territory on the Wenlock River.

(LOCKED-UP CROC)

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Mounted very high on the wall is a real croc skin about 3 metres long and 1 metre wide. The skin has been flattened out and the croc’s head is missing. The leather is brownish olive-green and darkens towards the claws and tail. The scales and ridges on the skin are very prominent. A text panel on the wall gives context for the display. The panel reads:

LOCKED-UP CROC

This skin is from Sarge, who died of old age when he was 80–100 years old. Sarge had an eventful life.

He lived around Bamaga, near the tip of Cape York, until he ate police sergeant Dennis Black’s dog, not far from a kindergarten.

Labelled a ‘problem croc’, he was apprehended and spent the night in the local watchhouse, earning his name, while they built him a travel crate.

He flew to Cairns on a chartered DC-3 and spent his 20 to 30-year retirement being fed and entertaining tourists at the Australian Crocodile Park (now Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures).

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Beneath the text panel is a colour photograph of Sarge in a cell. He is in the corner of the white-besser-block room, on a red concrete floor. His snout is bound shut with rope.

The text panel on the wall gives context for this section. It reads:

VISITING CROCS

Tourists love crocodiles!

They take tours to find wild ones, get up close to captive ones, take selfies by sculptures and shop for souvenirs.

Tourists bring money. They spend to see crocs, but also to stay, to eat and more, contributing millions of dollars.

Many businesses cash in on crocs. The best also teach people about crocodiles, so they respect and value them.

(READ ALL ABOUT IT)

The text panel on the wall reads:

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Crocodile attacks have hit the headlines for hundreds of years.

Here are a few examples.

Look at the language used – how does it make you feel about crocs?

Sensationalist language sells papers and collects clicks but is misleading and reinforces negative views.

For example, crocodiles don’t infest waterways, they live there. And they are not monsters, they’re incredible animals.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Beneath the text panel, resting on the floor is an old leather suitcase that has been opened up to reveal a display of collaged magazine covers, newspaper headlines, article clippings and pamphlets for croc tourist parks and activities.

(LASTING LEGACY)

A text panel gives context to the nearby display. It reads:

LASTING LEGACY

Steve Irwin, ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, was a worldwide phenomenon, an expert in crocodile research who was passionate about protecting them.

Steve’s messages about crocodiles and conservation reached millions across the globe, inspiring them to appreciate these misunderstood animals.

Today, Steve’s legacy is continued through the work of his family, the team at Australia Zoo and the Wildlife Warriors charity Steve founded. It funds conservation projects and research worldwide, along with a wildlife hospital in Queensland. Their iconic Australia Zoo has grown to over 280 hectares and employs over 500 staff.

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, is home to the largest crocodile research project in the world. By studying their diet, movement patterns, nesting and behaviour, researchers provide vital information to help understand crocodiles and how to live alongside them.

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

Beside the text panel are two colour photographs. The first shows Steve Irwin crouching on a riverbank behind a crocodile with its jaws open. Steve is smiling at the camera with his arms outstretched in his iconic ‘crikey’ pose.

The second photo is a recent portrait of the Irwin family leaning on a large tree trunk beside a river. Pictured from left to right: Robert (Steve’s son), Terri (Steve’s wife), Bindi (Steve’s daughter) and Chandler (Bindi’s husband). They all wear the Australia Zoo uniform, a khaki shirt.

(STEVE’S SHIRT & BOOT)

DESCRIPTION OF DISPLAY:

In a glass case is one of Steve Irwin’s iconic khaki work shirts, loaned to the museum from Terri Irwin’s private collection. The shirt has the ‘Australia Zoo’ logo embroidered above the left breast pocket. Below the shirt is a single brown leather workboot that Steve wore when moving one of his crocodiles, Scrappa. The boot is heavily scuffed and towards the toe are toothmarks from moving Scrappa.

Croc! Living with crocs accessibility tour

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Croc! Living with crocs accessibility tourCroc! Living with crocs accessibility tour

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Croc! Living with crocs accessibility tour