The Crocodile Hunter: The Incredible Life and Adventures of Steve and Terri Irwin (18 page)

A newly hatched perentie.

It had been decided that we’d head out to search for this giant lizard (the largest in Australia) when the temperature was still a relatively “cool” 30ºC (86ºF). Knowing how secretive this spotted giant can be, I was totally shocked when Steve spied one in the open at the base of a pile of boulders. He must have been out foraging and was focusing on something to eat rather than potential dangers. In fact, I don’t know what this lizard would have considered dangerous. He was massive. He would have been nearly seven feet long. As he turned to size us up, I began to appreciate why the Aborigines refer to perenties as “land crocodiles.” He wasn’t about to turn tail and run away from us.

Steve with a perentie back at the Park.

I felt very intimidated, but Steve knew just what to do. He approached the perentie without looking him in the eye. That seemed to be some sort of predator “rule” which enabled Steve to approach him. When Steve was close enough, he began a sort of standoff with the varanid. If Steve moved in too close I would hear the telltale hiss, which is reptile for “bug off!” This, along with some vicious tail slaps, went on for some time. Finally, Steve faked out the angry reptile by reaching for him with one hand while grabbing him with the other.

I’m proud to report that the female perenties back at the park fell desperately in love with this hunk of a lizard and reproduce quite nicely every year. Steve takes the perentie breeding program quite seriously. As the species coordinator for large varanids throughout Australasia, Steve makes sure that zoos maintain a viable population of perenties in captivity in order to ultimately conserve them in the wild. Steve’s perentie breeding program has been extremely successful and his ongoing research vital, and several of his papers on previously undocumented behavior of these magnificent lizards have been published.

Filming our documentary “Suburban Killers” was important to us because the only way we can preserve some of our more dangerous wildlife neighbors is to learn how to live with them. And, if accidents happen, it’s essential to know how to react. The information isn’t meant to scare anyone, but rather to instill empowering knowledge so we can all be confident instead of afraid.

Snakebite is an easy one to deal with. Or maybe it would be better to say that snakes are easy to deal with. They really want to stay out of our way. In fact, some ninety percent of the people who die from snakebite in Australia were either trying to catch or kill the snake. Only ten percent of fatal bites occur from accidental contact with a snake.

Australia is home to some of the world’s most venomous snakes. Catching them is a challenge.

Before you start to worry, let me point out that an average of two people die each year from snakebite in Australia. Lightning strike poses a far greater threat. Actually, there’s very little that can be done if you’re hit by a bolt of lightning, but first aid for a snakebite can make the difference between life and death. Since almost all bites occur on the limbs, a pressure bandage can be easily applied. This is the same type of bandage that is applied for a sprained ankle. Just start at the bite site and wrap the bandage, snugly, the entire length of the limb. The sooner the bandage is applied after being bitten, the more successfully the venom will be contained in the limb. Within twenty minutes of a bite is ideal.

Catching venomous snakes like this tiger snake was a new challenge for me.

Don’t try catching or killing the snake for identification. A snake produces venom in much the same way that we produce saliva. He doesn’t have to reload! If you harass the snake further he will envenomate you again! When you get to the hospital, the doctor will take a swab of the bite site and tell you whether or not there is venom present and what type it is. That’s why you don’t cut, suck, lick, or wash the bite site. That will only remove the venom on the surface of the skin. When I hear people talk about the “cut and suck” method, I’m reminded of an old joke they tell in the States: two cowboys were out on the range when one of them was bitten on the bottom by a rattlesnake. The other cowboy rode like the wind to town and asked the doctor what to do for his friend. “You must cut the bite and suck the venom out,” the doctor told the cowboy. When the cowboy returned, his friend anxiously asked him what the doctor had said. “The doc said you’re gonna die,” replied the cowboy.

Steve always handles all spiders with great care.

With the exception of the Sydney funnel web, all spider bites should be treated by applying ice (wrapped in a towel) directly to the bite site until reaching the hospital. Because of the nature of the venom, bites from Sydney funnel web spiders should be treated with a pressure bandage. Remember, if you don’t have a pressure bandage handy, remove clothing and make one!

Steve after being bitten by a nonvenomous snake.

Although a tourniquet is not usually recommended because it cuts off circulation, in some situations it can become necessary. In the case of a hemorrhaging wound, say from a shark bite, a tourniquet may be essential. A gaping wound may require packing with, for example, a rolled-up shirt. Direct pressure will help stop the flow of blood and must be maintained until reaching the hospital. Although sharks seem scary, in Australia shark strikes kill fewer people than anything else except crocodiles! (That’s fewer than one person per year.)

Australia’s Dingo Fence-the world’s longest man-made structure.

One of our most challenging projects was filming the world’s longest man-made structure. Australia’s Dingo Fence is even longer than the Great Wall of China. Stretching more than three thousand miles and with little more than a track to follow, it took us over three weeks just to drive from end to end. With special permission from landowners as well as permits from government departments, we were able to see for ourselves just how this dog fence works.

The objective, of course, is to keep sheep on one side and Australia’s wild dog, the dingo, on the other. We discovered, however, that the fence affected other animals as well. Everything from kangaroos to emus and even wombats and willy wag tails have conflicts with the monumental fenceline.

We had problems of our own. In some areas where water pooled from rain showers far away, the fenceline was actually underwater. On more than one occasion, Steve had to walk through waist-deep water to find out if the track was passable at all. In one particular section, the rain had turned the track into a muddy slick. As the crew’s vehicle rounded a corner we watched as it slid, as if in slow motion, straight into the fence. The graziers were amazingly polite about the whole thing as they set about repairing the significant hole left in the fence!

Later that night the weather set in so dramatically that we didn’t dare stop to set camp, as the water was rising fast. We picked our way cautiously along the slippery flooded track. After an incredibly long ten hours, we had gained a mere sixty miles. We secured a patch of high ground and grabbed some much-needed rest.

A significant portion of the trip was quite depressing. If a dingo was shot it was customary to hang it on the fence. Whichever side of the fence it was hanging on indicated the side on which it was shot. Some of the carcasses had been hanging on the fence so long they had mummified. Others bore the evidence of being scalped for the bounty that is still paid for each dingo killed.