By Justin Augustine

Like sharks, crocodiles have changed little since the dawn    of time; and why would they want to? Their presence near the top of the food chain means that they have no need to become faster and stronger, in order to continue their fear-inflicting presence in this world. It’s scary to think what crocodiles would be like today, if animals had the choice of greed and wanted to become bigger and stronger than everything else. In fact, some of these guys have managed to grow to lengths in excess of seven metres, live for up to 130 odd years and weigh around 1.5 tons.

A crocodile isn’t exactly the fastest thing since the Bugatti Veyron, and with the world record speed of 17 km/h for a croc, just about anything can outrun him – or her! The danger that crocodiles pose is not their ability to run after you, but their ability to strike before you even know that they’re there. The croc has jaws that have a bite force of around 352 kilograms per square centimetre, which is the strongest of any animal; a tail that can break bones with a well-placed swing, and skin that can withstand small arms fire. All in all, this predator is one mean green, bullet-deflecting, chomping machine.

Crocodiles account for over 100 human deaths a year, way more than any other predator. Deaths happen when we move into their domain and not the other way round; crocodiles never venture far from a water source. Scientific studies are continually in progress, as we try to understand these less than cuddly creatures. It’s clear to see why we can’t just walk up to these guys and get easy answers. We have had to resort to some foul play to subdue them, because tranquiliser darts just won’t work; it takes some hands-on effort to get them to co-operate. Actually, come to think of it, I doubt whether “co-operate” forms part of their vocabulary.

A very special breed of person is needed for this “hands-on” effort, and CVs are few and far between. Crocodile wranglers have got to be some of the craziest people around. Jumping on a reptile that weighs over a ton and has a bite that “skriks vir niks” takes some doing. Part of this doing is the

The name, crocodile wrangler, is not a qualification, but rather an impressive subtitle to another job title, namely, a herpetologist. A herpetologist studies all things coldblooded and near the ground; more specifically amphibians and reptiles. “Crocodile wrangler” just sounds better than “frog catcher”. Nevertheless, a crocodile wrangler still does exactly that – wrangles crocodiles.

It all starts with a reason to capture the crocodile: its life is threatened by poachers or drought; it has become a problem, or an animal is needed by zoos or breeding programmes. Authorities will call out a crocodile specialist to capture the intended specimen and ensure that it is either destroyed or taken elsewhere – usually the latter. Subduing a large reptile, such as a crocodile, takes a team of wranglers to get the job done. The role of capturer and captured are reversed when the wranglers are on site, but the role of apex predator isn’t. 

The team of wranglers usually needs to lure the croc onto land before trying to capture it. Once it’s on solid ground, the team jumps onto the croc like a loose mall and pins it down. The business end of the croc is always handled first, with a rope or tape wrapped around its snout to prevent it from changing the situation from hands-on to hands-off. Its legs are pulled up and onto its back and tied. This ordeal can sometimes take hours when dealing with really big crocodiles.

Undoubtedly, the most famous wrangler of them all has got to be Steve Irwin. Now, that was one man who loved his job, and loved it till the end. Known as the “Crocodile Hunter”, Steve also delved into wrestling other animals, such as snakes and bullfrogs, but his passion lay with these smiling giants.

To find out more about this job and the people who do it, check out these sites: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_irwin

blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2009/01/brady-barr.html

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