Giving the reptile a smooch every once in a while is also included in the job description

May 28, 2014 11:50 GMT  ·  By
Crocodile trainers in Thailand probably have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world
   Crocodile trainers in Thailand probably have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world

Folks who are terribly disappointed with their job and feel that the amount of work that they do and their paycheck are worlds apart might want to reconsider where they stand after learning that sticking your head in the mouth of a crocodile is an actual job in Thailand.

What's more, it appears that people who apply for such a position also have to give the reptiles a smooch every once in a while, just to keep things interesting, media reports say.

As if having to smell the breath of a ginormous reptile and giving it a kiss were not enough to make one consider another career, word has it that crocodile trainers who have landed such jobs only get paid about $7 (about €5.2) a day.

The photo above was taken at a wildlife facility in Thailand known as the Pattaya Crocodile Farm. Despite its misleading name, this facility is actually a zoo. One that makes a profit not just by allowing people to observe crocodile but also by putting on shows.

Thus, Daily Mail tells us that the Pattaya Crocodile Farm employs two crocodile trainers whose job is to get close and personal to reptiles living at this facility and entertain visiting crowds by putting their heads inside the animals' mouth and even kissing them.

While most people would flinch at the very thought of coming within an arm's length of a crocodile, especially one whose mouth is wide open, the two trainers – a man and a woman – appear to have no such dilemmas, and to be quite at ease around these animals.

Apparently, this is chiefly because the two crocodile trainers have found a way to calm the reptiles before getting dangerously close to them with the help of bamboo sticks. More precisely, it is said that the man and the woman use said sticks to put the animals into a relaxed trance.

Then again, wildlife researchers say that, according to recent estimates, crocodiles are able to deliver forces of up to 3,700 pounds (1,678 kilograms) per square inch (6.45 square centimeters). By comparison, the average Joe or Jane has a bite force of just 150 to 200 pounds (68 to 90 kilograms) per square inch.

Simply put, chances are that, as in a relaxed a trance crocodiles living at this zoo in Thailand might be during certain times of the day, many would think twice before attempting to even touch them, let alone take one good look down their throats.