FNQ’s most famous Crocodile up close and personal

Sitting at over 4m long, 250kgs heavy and roughly 70 years old, Goliath the saltwater crocodile is celebrating his 20th anniversary at ZOOM Wildlife Dome. View him up close and personal.

Sitting at over 4m long, 250kgs in weight, and roughly 70 years old, Goliath the saltwater crocodile is celebrating his 20th anniversary at ZOOM Wildlife Dome in Cairns.

He was brought over from a crocodile farm in 2003 and was the first animal to call Zoom Wildlife park their home.

Goliath during feeding presentation. Photo: ZOOM Wildlife Dome

He lives in an enclosure specifically built for him, with a heated pond and a regular feeding time of 3pm daily.

Wildlife manager Dan Kemp said Goliath is not only loved by local and tourists, but is also serving an educational purpose.

Photo: Cairns ZOOM Wildlife Park

Goliath up close. Photo: ZOOM Wildlife Park

“Nothing teaches people on croc safety quicker than seeing a powerful crocodile in front of them,” he said.

The Cairns Wildlife dome: Jessie Dodds, Pablo Ochoa De Alda and Steve Armstrong with a very relaxed Goliath, Picture Emily Barker.

“A crocodile’s power doesn’t age like humans. His strength as a 70 year old is the exact same as that of a 20 year old.

“It’s important to keep 5m away from the water’s edge and for fisherman to not leave their scraps behind. If people are croc safe, a crocodile won’t attack. They simply don’t want to.”

Crocodiles on average have a reaction time that is 37 times quicker than the average human and have a stronger jaw than any other animal.

Mr Kemp believes it could be the strongest jaw to ever exist.

“It’s important to be respectful of these creatures a build a healthy fear. No crocodile will hunt a human for the sake of eating a human,” he said.

Originally published as FNQ’s most famous Crocodile up close and personal