After filming the Blood Drain for my film "Crocodileman" I needed a climax for the film. I found out that rogue crocodiles that were responsible for attacking people and livestock across Northern Australia were trapped and transported to a man made lake within a huge crocodile farm in Darwin. In times past, these dangerous crocs were shot, but since the animals protection, they were now trapped and taken to crocodile farms. I visited the farm to see first hand the sixteen foot crocodiles compete for food in this large lake. The scene was perfect for the climax of my film.

I decided I wanted to place a filming cage into the lake and film the action- reaction of having over 100 very dangerous saltwater crocs surrounding my cage and feeding. After careful negotiations with the management, I gained the approval and the segment was put into motion. I built a new aluminium cage that was light enough to be easily lifted into the lake from a small tin boat. Once the cage was constructed, we tied a few tin boats together and placed the cage on top and proceeded to place the cage in the lake at the shallow end in five feet of water. Under the watchful eyes of over 100 crocodiles we drove steel star pickets deep into the mud at each corner of the cage to stop the crocs pulling the cage over. If pulled over I had two choices: One choice was to drown, the other choice was to try and swim the 50 yards to shore with over 100 crocodiles to keep me company. Neither choice I liked!!!

The picture on the left was taken from a frame of the footage shot by David just prior to Mark Olding yelling from the shore "David he is pulling the cage over".	The second picture tells the story "the crocodile fought the rope with so much effort he began to pull the cage over" The angle of the cage shows it was being pulled over. Also note the trap door on the top of the cage is open, David attempts to shut the door before cutting free the huge croc.

The crocodiles were normally fed daily with dead chooks from a local chicken farm, this was done from the lakes bank. The concept was, that I would try and feed the crocodiles from the cage and see if there was a dominant order among the reptiles. I believed there would be a dominant crocodile in the lake and that he would take over the territory around my filming cage. The stage was set.

I needed to gain access to the cage however. This was to be a very dangerous exercise, as the only way to gain access to the cage was to enter the lakes enclosure, walk to the waters edge and get in a small tin boat and paddle the boat to the cage. I also needed someone to come in the boat with me so they could paddle the boat back to shore. We asked for volunteers and no one in my crew would get into the boat. The owner of the farm then put his hand up and he got the job.

The next day we opened the locked gate to the enclosure and slowly walked to the 10 foot tin boat that was positioned on the shore. My first thoughts were a large croc or numerous crocs could easily attack us on the muddy, slippery bank. The paddle out to the boat also was a worry.

The owner informed me the crocs will probably stay away at first until they get more used to the cage, the boat and you being in their lake.

He also added, " I hope you get your filming over and done with in a few days as the crocs will become more and more used to you and your habits of coming and going and they will become more confident to launch an ambush"

We climbed into the tiny boat loaded with my cameras, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, drinkable water, food, chooks for the crocs and plenty of hope. We paddled slowly to the cage with numerous crocodiles watching. One large croc showed his displeasure at our intrusion and gave a tremendous splash only metres from the boat.

We knew that any one of the larger crocs could easily turn over the dingy.

On arriving at the cage the danger was far from over, as I was still very vulnerable climbing on top of the cage as it was only a few feet above the lakes surface and crocs can easily jump out of the water far more than a few feet.

Unlike the Blood Drain filming, I could not enter the cage at low tide, the lake situation put me at a far greater risk as the crocodiles could launch an ambush while I tried to enter the safety of my cage. Crocodiles are far more dangerous when in the water than out on land because they can uses their speed gained from the powerful tail and approach so much closer in the muddy water without being seen.

I scrambled into my cage as quickly as I could and set up the cameras as my assistant paddled back to shore, leaving me all alone, surrounded by over 100 crocodiles. The feeling was hard to describe, I guess I felt at the time, that maybe I was totally insane and my passion to get great action footage of crocodiles may well cost me my life.

The first day in the cage was virtually uneventful however, with numerous crocodiles coming to the cage to look at the man within, but not taking the baits. We believe the animals were initially frightened of the cage as it may have too closely resembled a crocodile trap.

I decided to continue with the filming and each day I kept paddling out to my jail in this dangerous lake, hoping the crocodiles would become more aggressive and there would be some dominant order established. As time went on, the crocodiles became more and more aggressive with larger ones escorting me out to my cage each morning.

Paddling the boat was becoming much more dangerous, with very real concerns about the boat being attacked . If the boat was overturned, we would have had no chance of surviving. The larger crocs began to not only follow the boat but occasionally nudge the boat with their heads. They also did this to my cage.

I could feel the vibration as the whole cage shook from the animals bony head or tail nudging and bumping the mesh. It soon became clear to me that the crocs wanted more than the bait, they wanted the living animal within.

On the eighth day, I was in the cage when a situation came about that could have been disastrous. It was late spring and the temperature was getting almost unbearably hot, storm clouds began to build up until a very threatening storm enveloped the lake. It is worth mentioning , that the far North of Australia experiences shocking storms with very strong winds and incredible lightning including heavy rain. It was Darwin that was almost completely destroyed when cyclone Tracy hit the town at Christmas some years before, with winds over 200 kph.

The crocodile lake I was partly submerged in, was situated only 40km from Darwin and the time of year was indeed the cyclone season. The weather changed so fast, there was no time to get the boat out and rescue me. The wind was far too intense for anyone to risk paddling out to the cage, I had to sit out the storm with my dangerous friends around me to keep me company. I had no other choice

The wind increased and then, to my relief, died down. Then came the rain. However I found the rain interesting, as the crocodiles all seemed to enjoy the fresh cool water splashing on their scaly wide bodies. Most of the crocodiles surfaced to enjoy the experience. One very large crocodile took up residence alongside my cage and literally stared through the mesh while the rain bounced off his grotesque head, I was happy as I was getting unique movie footage.

I was calm and at the time not worried for my safety as I believed the crocs were not going to tear my cage apart and the wind had died down. Then I became anxious, as the storm turned into an electrical storm, its ferocity I had not experienced before. Lightning began to flash across the sky in all directions. I was worried the half submerged cage would attract the lightning from above and strike my cage.

Strike after strike, flash after flash, the storm raged. The air was filled with the noise of cracking thunder, the noise so loud that it shook my cage with its vibration. The lightning lit up the crocodiles heads that swam so slowly around my cage, the whole scene was indeed bazaar

I was scared but at the same time experiencing an excitement level that stimulated all my senses. I was getting great footage, when after a short time the storm subsided and the sky cleared. Then as if the crocs were waiting for such an occasion they began to attack the baits with tremendous ferocity. The action was on. My land based film crew buttoned on their zoom cameras and I set the in-cage remote cameras to start. Mark Olding was in charge of filming me. He had had the job of filming me doing all the different segments of Crocodileman.

This poor man had to endure many dangerous situations. From diving with sharks to night diving under weed beds with freshwater crocodiles to expeditions in some of the remote wilderness of Western Australia. Without this brave man’s help I could never have produced my film.

Now the crocodiles were aggressive, Mark was very busy filming from different angles from the shore, putting up with the danger of crocs on the bank and the heat and humidity of Northern Australia.

Each day after the storm, the crocodiles attacked the baits. Unlike the Blood Drain, I was not suffering from Dendy fever nor were there spiders and snakes sharing my cage. However, I was getting very tired and the crocodiles were getting very bold. The boat trip was becoming extremely dangerous and getting in and out of the cage was potentially lethal. On the seventeenth day the largest crocodile of the lake began fighting any croc that came near my cage, he claimed the territory around my cage as his own.

I decided to test the strength and determination of this big croc. I tied a bait to the end of a 200 lbs rope. He came in without any hesitation and took the bait, I was busy filming when he shook his head severing and breaking the rope as if it was only string. I decided to tie the next bait with one tonne breaking strain platted anchor rope.

We all geared up for the action, Mark readied the land cameras and I changed to slow motion cameras in the cage. The huge dominant croc took the bait once again, but this time could not break the rope. At the time I stupidly had left the top of the cage undone with my escape hatch open. I was unaware of this fact and kept filming because of the spectacular action that was taking place. The huge croc was fighting the rope like a marlin, twisting and pulling with all his strength. A large crocodile can pull a fully grown bull into the water, the croc was not going to let go, it was his ancient instincts that kept him pulling on the rope.

I kept filming until Mark Olding yelled " David, he is pulling the cage over"

The croc was pulling with so much force that the star pickets that we had driven into the mud to hold the cage upright, were bending like putty, the cage was going over. Once over, I would be exposed to the dominant crocodile and his 100 mates.

I took the knife that was strapped to my chest and slashed the rope away. The crocodile disappeared into the murky water dragging down the cut rope.

The climax to my film "Crocodileman" was in the can (completed)

It was not until the cage was removed from the lake did we see the steel star pickets that were supporting the cage were all bent some 45 degrees. Had Mark Olding not warned me that the crocodile was dragging the cage over, I may not have been here to tell the story.


Film Crew.
Producing a film like Crocodileman takes a massive amount of dedication from numerous people.

Steve Dodds is an aboriginal elder and his totem is crocodile. His knowledge of the animal goes far beyond biology, his ancestors lived with animals like the crocodile for over 40,000 years. I owe him my deep gratitude for his great assistance with the making of the film.

Mark Olding is a powerful strong man with a huge heart. Mark supported the production of Crocodileman from it`s beginning to it`s completion. Mark is a fine cameraman, his job was to film me filming, his courage and support made the film possible.I hold the man in high regard and am indebted to him for his never ending support in the film`s production.

Michael Ireland is my older brother, he played an important role in the filming done in the wilderness of the Kimberly, I love him dearly.

My wife Susan put up with the constant fear of not knowing if I would survive the making of the movie. She also played an important role in the underwater modeling scene shot in New Guinea, she is my life.

Tex Bowman, he was my guide and expert for the filming done at the horrible Blood Drain. He was once a true Crocodile Hunter, his advise and knowledge kept me alive. Sadly he has now died, I will remember him always.

The making of David’s film Crocodileman attracted much media interest:

see publicity page.

Copies of "Crocodileman" can be purchased by contacting David Ireland.