In a nutshell, Matang Wildlife Centre is home to 7 estuarine crocodiles that are 7 to 9 feet long (they are the ones that will eat you) and 2 very rare, freshwater, False Gharials (who will not eat you), all of which are victims of habitat loss or conflict with humans. Two of the crocodiles lived in an outdoor pond with plenty of room to move, but 4 of them were cramped in individual ‘tubs’ where they could hardly stretch out, and one of them, Christian, was in a tiled area with no pond at all. Our September volunteers created a fantastic pond area adjacent to the main croc area and the time had come for help and advice on how to move and mix them (and whose job would it be to split them up if they weren’t happy …)

From this



We built this with volunteer help and money



And the result is this - croc love!




We called on the expert advice of Rozwan, who we’d met at Zoo Negara (literal meaning in Malay is National Zoo) last June. He proved to be a superb team leader for the weekend. He brought a vet Dr Reza, and another keeper/croc wrestler, Azman, affectionately known as the Sarawakian “Monkey Boy”. Rozwan was funded by volunteer money from Way Out experiences but the other two were so keen to help that they paid for the flights from Peninsular Malaysia themselves. On the drive from Kuching airport to the centre, Rozwan commented that the scenery and villages reminded him of Peninsular Malaysia in the 1970s.

Within half an hour of arriving, the guys were meeting the staff, volunteers and checking out the crocodile situation and Rozwan came up with a plan of action for the next day. The sex ratio of the crocodiles was crucial as males cannot be mixed, and we had no idea what sexes we were dealing with until we actually had them restrained. The evening was spent making croc carrying stretchers from Hessian bags, rope and hosepipe…ingenious!

So the following morning adrenaline was high among staff and volunteers alike as Rozwan explained carefully and clearly what we would be doing, how to stay safe and how to stress the animals as little as possible. Then it was all systems go for the nest 6 hours!

Catching a croc is sooo simple (well, of course it’s not, but here is the potted version):
1. Person 1 throws a rope noose over the crocs top jaw and holds it firmly, even when the croc rolls and twists.
2. Person 2 then places a damp Hessian bag over the croc’s eyes to calm him.
3. Persons 2, 3, 4 and 5 then sit/lie on croc’s head, body and tail on command.
4. They firmly tie the croc’s hands and feet behind his back. Easy!
5. The croc is then moved to a safe open area and draped with damp sacks to keep him cool and calm.

To sex a crocodile, you simply flip it over and with the help of a little KY jelly, feel inside its cloaca (opening). Luckily Dr Reza was very good at this and he also took blood samples from each one for DNA testing and to test for parasites. He also ‘notched' each one for identification purposes.

Steps 1 to 5 were repeated 5 times and our line up of sack draped crocs grew (and slithered across the yard in one case…). We couldn’t believe that the sex ratio – 2 males and 5 females- was just perfect! We were on a (crocodile) roll!!
Not wanting the crocs to be stressed more than necessary, we began the task of moving them to their new area…through the jungle. Crocodiles are heavy!!! We know that now! But with the help of a trolley (until the steep jungle path) and the stretchers we transferred them the 500m where one by one they were untied, uncovered and then left to discover their new surroundings and companions. They were all named after past and present volunteers, and I can happily report that Christian is happily living with Amber, Amy, Pauline and Shania while Marc and Charlotte are shacked up next door! There are now NO more crocodiles in cramped tubs, all are in spacious enclosures with running water. Another victory!

It was a fantastic day of excitement, learning, trust building, cooperation and achievement, and although it is hard to read a crocodiles thoughts, I believe that they are far happier where they are now. So massive thanks on their behalf go to all volunteers and staff who have contributed to their big move!