Whitsunday cattle and cane farmer John Casey was getting pretty snappy with government officials. After spending well over $5000 on modifications to an enclosure, and another five or ten grand on legal fees, John Casey has finally been given the official okay to keep his pet croc Charlie.
"I have received the permit to keep her here. It’s a special recreational wildlife licence which will have to be renewed after five years," Mr Casey said.
The farmer on the O’Connell River inherited Charlie or Charlene as she was known back then in his father’s will.
But changes to regulations brought out by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) meant when the licence came up for renewal, questions were asked.
"Well it is a croc but we have had her more than 48 years so we know what we are doing. I remember when we were kids she’d ride with us in the station wagon and she’d be sitting on dad’s lap just like a dog with her head out the window catching the breeze. But she wasn’t that big back then," Mr Casey said.
The new regulations included Mr Casey having to enlist a vet who was willing to treat Charlie should a health issue arise, and a qualified croc handler for back up.
Mr Casey’s father Alf reared Charlie from when she first came out of the egg almost five decades ago.
"She’s still much the same . . . sure she is bigger but she definitely knows us as opposed to other people who might come in for a look. She watches me when I come in to mow the lawn or whatever and sometimes I will give her a scratch under the chin," he said.
And what of special habits and traits?
"She answers to her name and she definitely knows me. She sits at the gate when ever I am around and when she sneezes it scares the hell out of you! It’s like a truck blowing a tyre on the highway!"
If he was looking down from heaven, Mr Casey says his dad Alf wouldn’t have had it any other way.
"I know it’s a fair bit of money to spend on getting things sorted out, but dad would have done the same."
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