Koorana’s ongoing fight for survival – adopt a croc
Posted on April 20th, 2020
Upon temporarily closing their doors to the public last month, Koorana Crocodile Farm were devastated as they watched their tours halt and cash flow immediately cease.
The working farm, established is 1981 started a new industry for Queensland, but with sole reliance on tourism and selling crocodile skins and meat locally and internationally, John Lever and his team have been recently left bruised and battered by the dire effects of the invisible virus sweeping the world.
However, in our region, we not only breed strong crocs, but strong and innovative local businesses…
Koorana Crocodile Farm have today launched their ‘Adopt A Croc’ campaign to save the popular long-standing operation and protect their entertaining beasts from permanent shut down.
With a new approach promptly required, the Farm is inviting the public to continue their support by putting their name to a large semiaquatic reptile pair, for a one-off payment of $1000.
“Although we no longer have visitors coming through the doors, we still have a duty of care for more than 3000 crocodiles,” said John.
“Feeding them and ensuring they are cared for daily comes at a cost, and without regular income being injected into the business, the situation is quite desperate.”
Koorana’s money for crocodile food has been exhausted and the farm only has enough food in storage for another two weeks.
“Our strategy now is to focus on harvesting as many crocs as possible to reduce the numbers, but there are significant costs associated with that aspect as well,” said John. “Money that we simply don’t have.”
“By placing some financial support into our business now, you get loads of ongoing benefits including lifetime entry to the farm for you and your immediate family, a plaque on the fence identifying your name, regular pics of your crocs, annual updates on nesting and hatchings, stories on the crocs origin and history, and a certificate stating that you helped Koorana beat Corona.”
Capricorn Enterprise has snapped up the program’s first croc, welcoming the whopping 4.3-metre long ‘Fitzroy’ and his partner ‘Fiona’ to the squad, with the Honorable Michelle Landry also adopting her very own colossus pair.
“We have worked closely with John, Lillian and the team at Koorana for many years now and to witness their current hurt and despair, along with our other members at this time is truly heartbreaking,” said Mary Carroll, Capricorn Enterprise CEO.
“Continuing to put money in the tils of our local businesses is detrimental now for them to maintain equipment and facilities. Just because the doors are closed to the public, doesn’t mean that the overheads disappear, and it is vital that we start injecting funds into our local operators immediately.”
For anyone interested in assisting Koorana’s survival and adopting a croc should email John at koorana@westnet.com.au or call 0407 623 170. NOTE: Fitzroy and Fiona will be featured on Koorana Crocodile Farm’s live video on Wednesday 22nd April at 11am.
John Lever, pictured here feeding one of his large crocodiles, will be teaching people how to manage crocodiles at a “Croc College” to be filmed by an ABC documentary film crew at his Koorana Crocodile Farm on the Capricorn Coast. Photo: Chris Ison / The Morning Bulletin. 
