Exhibiting crocodiles
Exhibiting crocodiles
Show feeding
Crocodile handling
Exhibiting crocodiles
Employers and self-employed persons have obligations to ensure the health and safety of members of the public at their workplace. All foreseeable risks in regards to members of the public should be controlled.
Fencing or barriers with mesh which prevents persons, including children, from placing parts of their body into the enclosure should therefore be used in conjunction with the signage.
Workplaces that house small numbers of crocodiles, or have a hire or swap arrangement with other zoos or farms, may not be required to perform high risk tasks regularly enough to enable workers to become competent in those tasks.
Workplaces that do not posses adequately trained workers to perform high risk tasks such as show feeding, should engage competent contractors to perform this work.
Show feeding
The purpose of show feeding crocodiles as part of an exhibition is to educate members of the public about the nature of crocodiles. The exhibition should demonstrate, as far as possible, how crocodiles behave in the wild. Show feeding should only be undertaken with conditioned crocodiles. Hand-feeding of crocodiles of any size for educational shows should be undertaken only by a competent person.
Crocodile handling
Wildlife parks, zoos and farms may offer to members of the public, crocodile handling as a part of their visit to the workplace. In these situations the crocodile must be under the supervision of an experienced person at all times.
If the crocodile is to be held by a member of the public, the crocodile's mouth should be tied securely. The size of the crocodile should be matched to the age and physical capabilities of the person wishing to hold it. It is recommended that crocodiles handled by members of the public are a maximum of 1200 mm in total length.
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