From Back Yard to Big Business
Amidst this serene mystical landscape, just beyond the majestic Glass House Mountains and somewhat unexpectedly, sits the Australia Zoo — the site of a lot of commotion about crocodiles, and more specifically, The Crocodile Hunter's Steve and Terri Irwin.
When we arrive at the zoo, we pass up the first small parking lot packed with cars to park in the larger lot, which is almost half full. A steady stream of visitors trickles into the zoo, either driven by their fanaticism to do so or curiously drawn to Steve's signposts to visit the Australia Zoo. Whatever the reason, they, and we, are welcomed warmly by a strikingly good-looking Aussie staff. Everyone, from the ticket-takers to the roving animal handlers, seems to be tall, leggy and athletic, with a wide smile and a healthy, sun-kissed glow. If you think the guys and gals from the Crocodile Hunter Diaries are lookers, there's plenty more where that came from.
Walking through the gates of the zoo, there is little evidence of the small reptile park that was once Steve's back yard. Back when Steve's parents started the park in 1970, it cost a mere 50 cents to pet a python or see a menagerie of reptiles, from death adders to goannas, on the Irwins' 4-acre lot. Today the price of admission at the zoo is $23 (Australian dollars), and visitors can encounter more than 750 animals across 60 acres.
The explosion in growth and construction has all happened in just the last two and a half years, with the zoo's staff ballooning to 340 people from just 50 a couple of years ago. The new rainforest bird exhibit houses over 100 birds alone. Then there is the Triple Croc Pond, which you'll become quite familiar with during Croc Hunter Live. It will serve as home base for the week and currently features live crocodile demos daily.
There is still more to come in the next five to 10 years at the zoo. The Irwins hope to invest $40 million in expansion, bringing the zoo to 250 acres of exhibits representing endangered and threatened animals from around the world. A planned Madagascar and Africa exhibit would house lemurs and possibly mountain gorillas from Rwanda, while an America exhibit would be home to the zoo's growing alligator population as well as Terri's passion, cougars. Then there is the pièce de rèsistance, the Crocoseum — a coliseum with seating for 5,000 and waterways leading to its center for the most extravagant and exciting croc shows. Currently under construction, it is scheduled for completion later this year.
But even more impressive than the zoo's incredible growth spurt are the animals themselves and just how close you can get to them. Seeing the animals that Steve and Terri have rescued and knowing their stories makes the animals celebrities in their own right. We saw Hannah, the white kangaroo from the "Bunya Rescue" episode, and Reggie, the zoo's biggest red roo. Turns out Reggie has been very busy siring all the zoo's red roos. He's quite a stud. My favorite was Brutus, the baby alligator whose mum is Fang 2 of the Fang Sisters. He's one of 13 siblings. Brutus was introduced to us by one of the zoo's roving animal handlers. The tiny gator has quite an engaging toothy grin and the softest skin on his legs.
Look! There's the Crocodile Hunter!
After cavorting with all the creatures at the zoo, we have to remember that we are here for business, too. We spot Steve again, at the Triple Croc Pond. This time it's the real deal and he's not yelling "Crikey!" or inviting us to visit the zoo. Well, actually we can't hear what he's saying; we aren't close enough. We can see that he's talking with the television producers that will be filming Croc Hunter Live as they begin to prepare for Monday night's event. He's pointing at the scaffold built for the cameramen and looking across the croc ponds. He's clearly the king of this domain, his zoo, in his khaki uniform and sporty silver sunglasses with blue flames along the rims.
He looks just like he does on TV for the most part. You know how when you see some celebrities you're suprised to see that they're taller or shorter than you thought? Well Steve looks just like you'd imagine. He's a fit bloke, but a little disheveled from chasing crocs and such. Then again, who wouldn't be?
We are looking forward to meeting Steve, Terri and Bindi later, and we'll be sure to bring you every juicy detail as the week progresses. Stay tuned for our next dispatch to find out what Steve and Terri are really like from the people who know them best.
