Big Leagues!

I had the good fortune of being asked by Jarrod to assist the Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo (AWSF) team in the annual croc move this past November. Once a year, Jarrod and his team have to move their adult crocodiles into a winter enclosure. Normally, the weather in Texas is fairly warm, but the weekend of the croc move was hit with an unusual arctic blast.

I flew to San Antonio International Airport at 3 am when the temperature dropped to a chilling 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Zipping up my jacket, I hopped into my rental car and drove to the hotel to catch two hours of sleep. My alarm buzzed at 6 am and I shivered off the chilly morning as I headed out to meet Jarrod. The moment I drove in, I saw the team had already gathered. As I parked my car and walked toward the group, I immediately saw a familiar face. Jarrod was already geared up and was fielding questions from the group about the biology of crocodiles. We waited for a few more people to join us, and then Jarrod gave us a rundown of the day. Most important, he said, was that no one get bitten. Jarrod scheduled the day such that we would warm up with the smaller, juvenile crocs before heading to the croc pond to move the larger adults.

We first had to prep the winter enclosure. Forming a line, we cleared branches, bushes, rocks, cinder blocks, and other debris so we could move about freely near the enclosure. The last thing we want when carrying a 10-foot croc is tripping over a twig! While the team cleared the area, Jarrod and his assistant, Caleb, set up the pump to drain the croc pond. Lowering the water level not only made it safer to work with the crocodiles, but also allowed us to clean the buildup of mud, rotting leaves, and feces that had been accumulating at the bottom of the pond. We rolled the flexible pipes out behind the hyena enclosure to drain the water into a holding pond. Using rocks and sticks, we propped the pipes away from the hyenas. With jaws capable of exerting 900 lbs per square inch, the hyenas could easily bite right though the pipes. The rumble of the pump’s engine signaled that we were moving to the next stage of our croc move.

There were four juvenile Nile crocs (Crocodylus niloticus) that had outgrown their nursery. Even though they were only about five or six feet in length, they still had the potential to cause serious damage. Before entering the enclosure, Jarrod briefed us on the procedure: cover the eyes, jump on the croc, restrain and tape the jaws, and control the animal during transport. While Jarrod prepped the team, he gave me the keys to unlock the gates and doors. The moment the first croc was restrained, I was to run ahead of the team, unlock the gates and the doors to ensure a clear path through the park to the winter quarters. The cold had not let up and I fumbled to get the keys to unlock the rusty locks. I heard the team yell as the first croc was restrained. My frozen fingers were struggling to unlock the gate while I heard Jarrod’s voice booming down the path! CRACK! I twisted the key one final time and the lock burst open just as the team hauled the six-footer in. Phew!

As the team got more comfortable moving the crocs, the other juveniles were quickly restrained and transported. Now, it was time to turn our attention to the big leagues.

The team gathers to cover last minute details

Jarrod gathered the team before we entered the croc pond. He coached us through the procedure one last time. “HOOYAH!” We yelled after our little huddle and we walked into the croc enclosure.

Surveying the croc pond (notice the giant gator near the pipe)

The croc pond enclosure was a fenced in area with a huge pond in the middle and housed a wide array of crocodilian species, from alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) to the Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii). Even before we stepped in, the gators and crocs were agitated. Now that we were in their territory, they viewed us as a threat. Jarrod spotted Sam, the 13-foot alpha male. As the rest of us scurried around to put down our gear, Jarrod and Caleb brought out a rope and ran to the far bank to lasso Sam. The team looked on as Jarrod juggled the cold, stiff rope around Sam’s massive jaws. After several attempts, they snagged him! “Pull!” Jarrod yelled as we all rushed to grab the rope and drag the enormous gator onto land. “Ok, everyone! This is it!” Jarrod shouted as he and Caleb broke from the group and prepared to jump the 13-footer. “Sean, I want you right behind me,” Jarrod instructed, not taking his eyes off the gator. I positioned myself behind Jarrod as the team pulled Sam from the water onto the bank. I heard Jarrod count down and before I knew it, he was airborne. I jumped right after him and slammed onto the reptile. Check out how it went down below.

As the rest of the team took over for transport, Jarrod, Caleb and I took a quick second to recover. I wasn’t sure if I was shaking because of the cold or because of the adrenaline. But that was only the first one.

Look at the size of Sam's jaws!

The morning chill hadn’t abated and now that I was wet from wrangling, the chill cut through me even more. As Jarrod handed me the lasso, it was my turn to bring one of these crocs in. I heard Caleb yell as he spotted one of the large Nile crocs swimming in the pond. I forced my shaking legs into overdrive and jumped onto the embankment. My eyes locked onto the snout of the huge croc. I tossed the lasso into the water, but the rope was stiff and difficult to loop around the croc’s snout. “C’mon.” I whispered to myself as I flicked the rope over the crocs muzzle. BAM! I pulled the rope but the croc had twisted out of the loop. “There he is again!” Jarrod’s voice rang out. Gritting my teeth, I tossed the rope again. It landed across the croc’s snout. I exhaled, trying to calm myself down. BAM! The rope snapped tight as the croc surged forward trying to break free from the lasso. The power of the ten-foot Nile croc nearly pulled me into the dark water. Immediately the team behind me grabbed hold of my waist, fighting to keep me from being pulled into the water. Even though my fingers were frozen numb, I could still feel the dull pain of the rope as it burned through my hand. My fellow team members saw that I was having trouble with the rope and immediately jumped in. Having the support of teammates who would risk their lives for me fueled me to regain control of the rope. I scrambled across the embankment, twisting my ankle in the process. But I knew that we had to secure this croc as quickly as possible. Crocodiles build up lactic acid in their muscles when they exert themselves and can exhaust themselves to death. Add to that the bitter cold, and we could have had an emergency situation if we took too long to secure the reptile. There was no room for error or injury. As the team jumped in to grab the rope, we dragged the gorgeous croc onto the bank. Jarrod gave the signal to jump and secure the jaws. Another one down.

Now, with two large crocs under our belt, we began to work more efficiently. We covered each other to make sure that none of us fell into the danger zone. When a situation arose, we all would step in to diffuse it, even if it meant putting our own lives on the line. The camraderie, grown out of our united mission to safely and securely move these crocs, gave us the strength to fight off the wind, the mud, and the fiesty crocs.

As we transported the crocs one by one, Jarrod handed me the rope and told me that the next croc would be mine. I pivoted my attention to the beautiful Morelet’s crocodile (C. moreletii). Morelet’s crocodiles are endangered in their natural range in South America and AWSF is one of the few institutions in the US to have an adult specimen. These crocs have stunning patterns on their backs and have been hunted nearly to extinction for their skins. While Morelet’s crocs aren’t the largest croc species, their attitude more than compensates for their lack of size. I knew I had to be extra careful when securing this specimen and didn’t want to miss on my first shot. Without the protection of the water, the croc was fully exposed to the cold air. Every second counted. I stepped into the mud, edging closer to the croc, and tossed the lasso around the croc’s jaw. Jarrod positioned the lasso with a long pole. SNAP! I pulled the lasso and the croc struggled. Handing off the rope to the team, I positioned myself behind the croc, ready to jump. I threw a t-shirt over the croc’s eyes. WHAM! I landed on the croc, my hands locking around the powerful jaws. The mud was so slick that I fell to my side, taking my right hand off the jaws to support myself. Immediately, Jarrod grabbed the jaws to ensure that the croc didn’t twist free. After regaining my balance, I secured the croc. Check it out below!

After a long morning, the adrenaline began to wear off. Hours of intense croc wrangling in the cold left us all exhausted. But the fellowship of the team kept each of us strong and in good spirits. The dynamic in the croc team reminded me of my training at West Point: every person in the squad trusted each other and was ready to put his/her life on the line to save each other. As we sat back to enjoy a well deserved break, we reflected on what had just transpired. We pulled off the entire croc move without incident, no injuries to us or to the crocs. What an experience!

Jarrod and me after a successful croc move