Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
By SAHAR MOURAD FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
18 May 2018
Is this the next Steve Irwin? Fearless youngster has been handing deadly snakes and wrestling crocodiles and alligators since he was THREE years old
- Eight-year-old has been wrangling crocodiles and alligators since he could walk
- Charlie Parker helps his parents care for the animals at Ballarat Wildlife Park
- Held first snake when he was one-year-old and tackled crocodile two years later
- Charlie hopes to become a professional zookeeper just like Steve Irwin
A fearless eight-year-old has been wrangling crocodiles, deadly snakes and alligators since he was able to walk.
Charlie Parker helps his parents care for the animals at Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria, and is an expert at handling reptiles.
'I like to play with alligators, snakes, lizards and frogs,' he told Barcroft TV.
Charlie held his first snake when he was just one-year-old and tackled a crocodile two years later.
Reptile ranger, Charlie Parker, held his first snake when he was just one (pictured)
A young Charlie Parker wrestles a small alligator when he was just three years old (pictured)
His parents Julia Leonard and Greg Parker, have become accustomed to their son's love for animals
Despite being so young, Charlie hopes to become a professional zookeeper just like Steve Irwin.
His parents Julia Leonard and Greg Parker, have become accustomed to their son's love for animals, saying they would never put him at risk if they thought he was going to be eaten.
His mother also compared Charlie to a 'little David Attenborough.'
However, Charlie has been bitten a few times by a few of the animals such as a snake, crocodile, and a venomous snake.
He's also had an alligator lunge at him, but being the young boy that he is, he thought it was 'pretty cool.'
Charlie Parker, holds onto a giant crocodile statue at his parent's Ballarat Wildlife Park on April 09, 2018 in Victoria, Australia
A young Charlie Parker wrestles with a giant alligator as he holds his tail at Ballarat Wildlife Park
Charlie Parker, at eight-years-old holds a baby alligator and smiles for the camera (pictured)
With over 50 species of reptiles and 20 species of mammals at the park, Charlie's favourite animal is a giant crocodile called Crunch.
Crunch is a five meter salt-water crocodile that weighs around 700 kilograms.
Charlie loves the bigger reptiles and says he gets an adrenaline rush when he's working with them.
'It gives me an adrenaline rush and I get excited when I work with the big ones.'
A young Charlie Parker wrestles with a giant alligator as he holds his tail at Ballarat Wildlife Park
