Fans of Steve Irwin will see some of that similar spunk and animal allure (along with the accent) in Australian wildlife relocator Matt Wright, whose new show Wild Croc Territory is available on Netflix. The charming adventurist has been surrounded by animals his whole life.
“I was a bit of a black sheep as a kid; I preferred animals to people,” Wright shares. “If I wasn’t playing with the wild animals, I was out looking for more pets to add to our menagerie of dogs, chooks and horses.” Here he answers our “5 Questions.”
1. How did you get into being a wildlife relocator (chopper pilot and adventure tourism operator too!)?
I was snake mad as a kid. I used to tail brown snakes, which are one of the deadliest animals in the world, and put them into a bucket to proudly show my Mum. I had a connection and love of reptiles for a long time. Then I moved to northern part of Australia when I was about 18, which meant my passion shifted from snakes to crocs, and I got my helicopter license. Because a lot of the wildlife relocation work in the northern part of Australia is in remote areas, I was able to pick up a lot of work in this field. I had the right mix of skills — a love of adventure, understanding of animals — and wanted freedom in whatever I did, so it was the perfect job for me.
2. I’m sure every day is different for you, but could you describe a day in your life?
Every day is different because I split my time between my tourism bases and our home. If I wake up on the Tiwi Islands, the morning starts with a coffee and buggy ride to the water pump that sits 3 km down the beach, to check on the supply. I say G’day to the resident dingos along the way and see what the marine life is doing. There’s usually a mix of crocs, sharks, big fish, manta rays, turtles and dugongs out and about.
If I’m at Top End Safari Camp, the morning always starts with an early airboat ride on the picturesque flood plains of the Finniss River to see how the wild crocs are doing, and to make sure they’re all healthy and happy. Then at home we have a 16-foot pet croc and some snakes, so I’ll chuck some food in for them in the mornings that I’m home.
There’s always a lot going on every day, but I’m lucky that my 3-year-old son Banjo and wife Kaia can come along with me most of the time and share in the adventure with the animals, choppers, airboats, fishing and exploring.
3. Share an example of something that has gone badly for you.
In one of the episodes, we caught a 15-foot croc and tied it to the back of a tiny boat to relocate it across the water with lots of other crocs. During this voyage, the engine on the boat cut out with the croc moving around, almost tipping us all overboard. It was very nerve-wracking.
4. What’s the largest gator you’ve wrangled to date?
18.3 foot. I would say that’s about the third biggest crocodile ever caught in the world. He was a big fella.
5. What’s a favorite moment you shot this season that you are excited for viewers to see?
Well for comedy value, definitely the episode when a 12-foot python gets stuck in Banjo’s bedroom and my wife Kaia has to wrangle it and get it out of the house. She loses her marbles a little bit, but gets the job done!
WATCH “WILD CROC TERRITORY” ON NETFLIX NOW.