Crocodiles can get stuffed
MOVE over Paul Hogan. We’ve found the real Crocodile Dundee.
And he is nestled away in the northern suburbs, quietly boiling the head of a 5mcrocodile or unleashing flesheating beetles on to the carcass of another.
Meet Darwin taxidermist Keerthi Eswaran, whose Leanyer ‘‘ office’’ consists of three backyard freezers brimming with roadkill, domestic cats, crocs and peacocks, all ready to be gutted and returned to their former glory.
Mr Eswaran works as a zookeeper at Darwin’s Crocodylus Park by day, and as a taxidermist by night.
And he very well may be the Territory’s biggest crocodile fan— albeit it dead crocodiles, which he has turned into 26 retail products, ranging from wall plaques and keyrings to display skulls.
Mr Eswaran, who studied taxidermy for four years in Oklahoma, sells his products to locals and tourists.
And Territorians love their stuffed animals.
‘‘Crocodile skulls are actually quite popular locally,’’ he said.
‘‘Everyone wants a skull. I have about 50 skulls at the moment and I find doctors, particularly dentists, tend to be most interested in the skulls. I am actually a con-
Crocodile skulls are actually quite popular locally
servationist and I love the idea of giving a second life to animals.’’
Mr Eswaran arrived in Darwin to work for the man he cites as his inspiration, Crocodylus Park owner Graeme Webb.
And for the past two years, he has stuffed animals as a hobby.
‘‘ The NT is very well known for its crocodiles, and it is a huge attraction here.
‘‘ The biggest crocodile I have worked on was around 5.3m with a 83cm skull. To do the skull articulation I boil the head of the freshly killed crocodile but with the baby crocodiles, I have to unleash the flesh-eating beatles — or the dermestid beetles — to eat the flesh.
‘‘It is actually a very hard and time-consuming job.’’
Mr Eswaran said he collected freshly killed crocodiles from the Noonamah Crocodile Farm, but also had a permit to collect roadkill, such as wallabies and pigs.
‘‘ You definitely need to have a strong stomach for what I do,’’ he said.