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Little snappers shine at croc park

These newborn Kimberley crocodile hatchlings may look harmless but at just a few hours old they have already adopted the instinctive traits of their feared predator parents.

The new arrivals at the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park in Broome come after the hostile mating season from November to April in which eggs are carefully collected and placed in an incubator for more than 80 days.

Park worker Chris Baker said the breeding cycle was always an exciting time and staff needed to stay alert. "We get a great adrenaline rush having to collect the eggs," he said.

"All of our crocs are hyped up during the wet season. Being a cold-blooded animal they love it hot and wet and warm - it's good fun for us."

Instead of being destined for release into the wild or life at the farm, Mr Baker said most of the hatchlings would be used for high-quality leather products in Europe.