In August this year, the Australia Zoo team joined forced with the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors and a group from the University of Queensland to undertake yet another crocodile research trip.
This expert team will study crocodiles in the Wenlock River, located in the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, a 335,000-acre conservation property on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula. Currently, the team are tracking 129 crocodiles in this river, a number that grows, year upon year.
These trips study crocs using the advanced “capture and study” technique invented by Steve Irwin back in 1996. They involve the use of satellite tracking devices to determine new information about the species that ultimately helps to protect people and crocodilians the world over.
So far, the team has uncovered some fascinating facts, including information on diet, movement patterns, and much more. They even discovered that crocs can spend more than three hours underwater (it’s believed to be seven)! What fascinating research.
This year, the group recaptured some of the crocodiles it’s been following for the past three to six years, helping to learn more about diet, environmental drivers for movement, and other behavioural patterns of crocodiles, with a focus on temperature.
It’s for reasons like this that PETS loves Australia Zoo. The Irwins and this fabulous group do amazing work. Make sure you visit them next time you’re in the Sunshine Coast, make sure you pay them a visit. For more information, visit australiazoo.com.au.
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