CAIRNS POST (Australia) 07 January 10 Job to pamper baby crocodiles (Nick Dalton)

WANTED: Someone to pamper 17,000 growing feisty crocodiles.

Primary requisite: Must be terrified of the reptiles.

That is what Cairns Crocodile Farm wants from its newest staff member.

The Gordonvale operation is advertising for a husbandry team member to help look after 17,000 juvenile crocodiles.

"Spend most of your day in the field, in and out of crocodile pens," the recent advertisement in The Weekend Post read.

Other work includes maintaining a clean environment for the reptiles, preparing and giving them their food, cleaning up after them and "stock handling".

Farm director Keith Cook said there had been more than 60 applicants for the job.

He said he wanted someone who would "pamper" the crocodiles through their growing stage to about 3.5 years when they would then be harvested for their skins and meat.

"I need an entry level person to clean them, feed them, warm them, cool them, release them and harvest them," Mr Cook said.

"More importantly they have to be scared (of crocodiles). You can’t teach them that, you have to be frightened and to learn to overcome the fear," he said.

Mr Cook said managing crocodiles was a skilful business and he was prepared to train and invest money in the right person. "It’s physically demanding and there is a lot of potential for the long term," he said.

"They have to be someone who is able to read the livestock and saltwater crocodiles are difficult to read.

"In the long term they will learn the mind of a crocodile and can tell when they are unhappy and predict what they are going to do next."

Mr Cook said there would be opportunities to work at the company’s other farms in Darwin and

Pormpuraaw.
Job to pamper baby crocodiles

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