Brave Keepers at Australian Reptile Park 'Raid' Alligator Nest to Keep Eggs Safe

Keepers at the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales executed a “highly dangerous” alligator nest raid on December 28.

Footage by the park shows keepers wrangling female alligator Betty, who laid 15 eggs the previous night, so that they can take her clutch to protect them.

According to a press release by the park, because alligators are native to swamps and wetlands in the southeastern US, they won’t hatch in Australia’s hot climate.

The eggs taken during the nest raid will be artificially incubated, and will hatch in about 70 days.

“After relaxing over Christmas, there’s nothing that gets your heart racing again quite like alligator nest raiding,” Daniel Rumsey, head of reptiles at the park, said in a press release. “We do this every year and all of the keepers love getting muddy and helping save the baby alligators from what could be a potentially dangerous situation with Australia’s heat, and larger cannibalistic adult alligators.” Credit: Australian Reptile Park via Storyful