Australian Reptile Park: Risky repair of crocodile pool
VIDEO: While we all got to work and grabbed a cup of tea or coffee, Australian Reptile Park’s Tim Faulkner was risking life and limb to repair the pool of the giant saltwater croc Elvis.
Central Coast
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Fixing a pool seal is a relatively simple job — but not when the pool is home to a five-metre, 500kg saltwater crocodile.
Visitors to the Australian Reptile Park got more bang for their buck this morning watching the park’s general manager Tim Faulkner draw the short straw and risk his life to fix a seal in the pool where Elvis — otherwise known as Australia’s Crankiest Crocodile — lives.
The gap in the pool caused by lifted sealant had the potential to cause injury to Elvis, so action was immediately required. Ten years ago, Elvis ripped his toenail off in the same gap.
Mr Faulkner entered the enclosure with a rope tied around his waist. If he felt a tug on the rope, it meant Elvis was coming.
A keeper was also in the enclosure to distract Elvis by banging a stick near the waters edge.
“I’d be lying if I said my heart wasn’t racing,” Faulkner said.
“With an animal as dangerous as Elvis, we needed to take every safety precaution necessary to ensure I could go home to my family afterwards.”
Elvis was treated to a small snack before Mr Faulkner entered the water, no doubt to take away any thoughts of hunger.
As Elvis was lured to the waters edge, Mr Faulkner went under keeping a constant eye on Elvis. A few dives down — still keeping an eye on the giant reptile — and the seal was patched. Mr Faulkner quickly exited the water with Elvis unaware of the intruder in his home.
“It was absolutely necessary for me to get in the pool to fix the gap before Elvis hurt himself,” Mr Faulkner said.
“A broken-off toenail on a giant saltwater croc is serious business. Not only is it extremely hard to medicate, but it’s also really painful for the crocodile as it exposes both raw tissue and bone.”
Head of Reptiles Daniel Rumsey said Elvis became known as “Australia’s crankiest crocodile” in 2011 when he ate his keeper’s lawnmower.
“He’s taken down boats in Darwin Harbour, female crocs, lawnmowers and the occasional pool scoop. I’m glad it was Tim in the water and not me,” Mr Rumsey said.
Elvis came to The Australian Reptile Park from the Northern Territory in 2007 where he was causing havoc to fishing boats in Darwin.
He has become an ambassador for his species and is one of the most popular animals at the Reptile Park where huge crowds gather for his daily feed at 1.30pm each day.
