SWIM WITH THE CROCS
THE CaPTA Group has reignited a plan to put tourists face-to-face with crocodiles in a beefed-up version of the Northern Territory’s world famous Cage of Death.
Construction has started on the Wildlife Habitat’s Crocarena at Port Douglas after the project hit roadblocks and failed to open a year ago.
Speaking at the Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome, project manager Michael Woodward said the CaPTA Group expected the new attraction to open its jaws to particularly lion-hearted tourists early next year.
He also revealed a plan to build a new climbing wall to add to ZOOM’s extensive high ropes course above the Reef Hotel Casino.
“At our sister attraction, Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, we’ve got some grand plans,” he said.
“There’s the Crocarena … we’re submitting for grant funding for it as well.”
Whereas Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin uses an overhead monorail to winch daredevils within a transparent cylinder into the saltwater beasts’ lair, the Crocarena will let visitors swim through a glass passage alongside the man-eaters while they watch the reptiles demolish whole raw chickens.
Two grandstands with seating for more than 300 people will be built as well as an underwater viewing area to allow visitors to watch feeding from all angles, including staring them dead in their malicious eyes.
The Northern Territory has boasted of having Australia’s only crocodile diving experience since the Cage of Death opened in 2008.
High-profile visitors including Senator Sam Dastyari, pop singer and actor Jessica Mauboy, rugby league star Scott Prince and US rapper Xzibit have all taken the plunge alongside 5.1m saltie Burt, who himself appeared in the film Crocodile Dundee.
Wildlife Habitat’s resident reptiles are not the only ones getting new digs.
Colin the Lumholtz’s treekangaroo has also moved into a renovated enclosure.
Despite being a mostly solitary animal, the canopy-dwelling marsupial still enjoys the occasional company of a female as part of the organisation’s breeding program.
Wildlife Habitat manager Clare Anderson said the enclosure gave guests a better view of an animal that is notoriously difficult to spot in the wild.
“His enclosure is much more stimulating than his previous one with natural vines and trees to make his way through and platforms for feeding and sleeping on various levels,” she said.
“With such close views of this amazing species, you can really see their incredible forearms and how they are adapted to life in the trees.”