Go west, young man-eaterNovember 21st, 2009
ERROL the cranky crocodile could not have been given a better new home if he had picked it himself.
One of the biggest crocodiles in captivity in Australia has moved to the state of Texas, where everything is bigger than anywhere else.
Errol was the man-eating star of the chilling 2007 movie Black Water, which was based partly on the true stories of a crocodile attack on birdwatcher Val Plumwood in Kakadu National Park in 1985 and the fatal attack on Brett Mann in the Finniss River in 2003.
The giant saltie was caught in the Daly River in 1981 and kept at the Darwin Crocodile Farm until it closed as a tourist attraction.
Big Gecko, a company run by Erin and Adam Britton, accompanied Errol on his 60-hour journey to Fort Worth zoo.
The croc was flown cargo class from Darwin to Sydney to Los Angeles to Cincinnati to Fort Worth.
"Errol is now the largest saltwater crocodile living in the US, so it was only fitting that he went to Texas," Dr Britton said.
Errol was transported in a specially designed crate built by Jed Robinson - and he arrived in Fort Worth in perfect condition.
"Within minutes of the crate being opened, he was out and exploring his new home - a custom-built, water-heated enclosure with an underwater viewing gallery," Dr Britton said.
"It's fair to say that he arrived in better condition than we did, and we're now convinced that crocodiles do not suffer from jet lag."
Errol, who weighs 650kg and is up to 50 years old, will be the prime attraction at a new reptile exhibit opening at the zoo next year.
"Zoo staff were extremely happy with him," Dr Britton said.
"There's no doubt he's found a good home, where he'll be an ambassador for Australian crocodiles."
