Yep, got one.
Today we've got a massive mission,
we're moving 10 of Australia Zoo's
biggest alligators
from our massive gator lagoon. At the moment -
- we've got boxes coming in, we're weighing them, getting all the gear prepped,
and then the whole team is going to be getting in with top jaw ropes
to grab these gators, box them up and move them to a new home.
Let's do this.
Yep, got one.
One, two, three.
All right, before we do this next gator,
just got to load up another rope and I'll show you the system that we use.
So what we're doing today is the top jaw pull-through method.
And this is something that my dad first invented quite a long time ago.
Now, he actually had this thought when moving saltwater
crocodiles, a much bigger and more volatile species.
And he thought that rather than catching them and jumping them,
what would be a more stress-free way of doing it?
So he came up with this technique with a bamboo pole and a piece of silver rope.
What we do is we loop this rope, get it all the way through
just like this, and then
feed this rope into the bamboo.
Just like so. You keep this loop open.
You just flick it over the alligator's top jaw.
They usually grab onto it and it's nice and soft
Gators are built for an extremely tough life.
And they have huge fights naturally out in the wild.
They'll smash heads together.
They have to bring down big prey items.
So a little piece of silver rope,
it doesn't hurt them whatsoever.
They've got such a big head and such big gnarly teeth
that this just slips over like nothing. Pull it tight.
Pull them through.
Then we can get them in the box. But it's much easier said than done.
Then once we pull them into
the box with the rope and we've shut the front, it's dark.
It's quiet. Can't see anything. They can't hear anything.
And they settle down instantly.
It's a perfect technique, something that dad created 20 odd years ago.
But we still use the exact same thing with all the crocodilians at Australia Zoo.
So, looks pretty good. Let's catch a gator.
Good job. Well done. Nice job, guys.
So that's 10 gators - and 10 of the biggest gators in Australia Zoo
out of the lagoon and on their way down to the Australian Reptile Park
down in Sydney. It will be a big trip
for them, but they'll be so happy to head down to a new home.
That was great. Gator moves. Woohoo.
Mission success.