Butchering a crocodile

http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/content/2008/s2555101.htm

Cutting up saltwater crocodiles

By Carl Curtain from Darwin , NT

Tuesday, 28/04/2009

The crocodile meat and skin industry in the Northern Territory is still in a fledgling stage.

Crocodylus Park in Darwin has an abattoir which processes dozens of saltwater crocodiles every week.

Butcher Greg Graveson says the majority of crocodiles killed are around two-and-a-half metres long.

"This crocodile was killed last night so he's got a chance to bleed and hung up in the chiller. He'd be about four or five years old.

"We take the back-strap off so it's ready to be skinned. The rest of the body skin, under the belly, is the main bit of skin."

Offsider Dave says there's not much of the crocodile that isn't used in some way.

"We take the body meat off, which is usually the second-rate meat and then the tail, we'll bone that out and pack it into bags.

"We take the back claws off, take the heads off and we cut open the gut and take the fat out for making soap."

The back-strap of the crocodile is removed first.

Abattoir workers Dave and Greg hang a crocodile

The tail of the crocodile is seen as having the best meat.

The entire skin is removed from a crocodile with an air knife.

***