Oi ya. G'day mate!
Brandon here at Australia Zoo, and I've just started in
what is one of my lifelong dreams and that's to be a reptile keeper.
Not just reptile keeper, but to be reptile keeper at Australia Zoo.
And that is because this place is famous worldwide for its conservation message.
The Irwins, the entire team, takes its conservation very seriously. In fact,
they want to bring crocodiles, snakes, all the animals you probably didn't
even think of as cute and cuddly
into your heart so that everyone starts to protect them.
So obviously, to be a reptile keeper here at Australia Zoo,
you've got to do a lot of training and a lot of work along the way.
As a rookie keeper, You're going to be able to watch me progress
and see what it takes to actually live the dream as a reptile keeper
here at Australia Zoo. See you out there mate!
Obviously here at the zoo, in reptiles, we've got a massive collection.
We've got a lot of animals to look after and a lot of husbandry to learn in order
to make sure that every single one of these animals is healthy and happy,
whilst also learning how to engage these animals
with the public that are visiting the zoo every single day.
And they stand right up
and whoever has the tallest head wins, the other one says sorry, submits and walks off.
Very boring.
Probably the most boring fight in the animal kingdom.
Now, fortunately, I have had some previous experience
with reptiles, and that has helped me in this position so far.
I didn't realise how quick it would go into account, though.
Things like our komodo dragons.
They're the biggest lizards on Earth.
going in with these monitors, learning how they are target trained
and all the work that's going into them behind the scenes,
has just been extraordinary.
Every reptile keeper, when you're little, your number one
thing is you want to work with Komodos and this guy is a pretty interesting one.
I love him.
He's the best looking Komodo.
He's so big, he’s so muscular.
Just the fact I can come in with them is just phenomenal as well...
This is- this is awesome.
Well, after 12 months here in the reptiles department, I've learned a stack
but, by far, my greatest opportunity is this.
We're putting komodos in to the Crocoseum, in show.
And I get to oversee the training and getting them out there
so lets go have a look at how this one goes
Well G’day guys.
How are we all doing today, we doing good? Very good.
You’re about to have the best day of your life
because we are bringing out Ragnar.
Aw look at him, he’s staunched. He loves it, he's very, very excited.
[Sami] So what we're doing here now is, it’s called a carcass feed.
Carcass feeds are quite important,
because this is what they’re naturally doing in the wild.
We want you to love them as well, so that go to into your hearts a little bit.
Now get ready for the crocs.
One of the most exciting parts of the job
is going to be working
alongside my favorite reptile, the saltwater crocodile.
Now, I didn't expect to be able to be involved with the crocs...
or the alligators so early on.
The zoo is world-famous for them
and obviously takes getting in with them very seriously.
Every day when we do our daily wildlife demonstrations of these animals
being able to sit there on the fence line and back up the two in the middle that are feeding
is something I take very seriously and am very proud to be a part of.
Well, what an adventure it's been, thanks so much for coming on the journey
and seeing my progression through reptiles.
It's obviously been full on. Our department, has a lot of animals
and a lot of action every single day.
So it has been a heck of a learning curve for me, but I feel like
the journey has just begun right here, and I cannot wait to get stuck
into all the croc action that Australia Zoo has to offer.
And of course, all of our other reptiles.
Australia Zoo has conservation at its core,
and I'm so proud to work in a place that really spends
every single day fighting for wildlife and wild places.
So, I hope you enjoyed it, mate.
We'll see you next time on the next adventure!