Animal Diaries Archive

Michelle's First Talk

29 July 2005

Palms are sweaty, heart is racing a million miles an hour and the crowd starts to form around me... what do I say? Mind has gone blank.

Fortunately words did come out, but I can't remember what they were. I always thought I would rather get hit by a bus than talk in front of a large crowd of people I don't know, but really, now that I have done it, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. With Herbie and Damo encouraging me the whole way, I did a five-minute talk on Scrapper the crocodile while the boys fed him (five minutes still felt like a lifetime). I still have loads more practices before I am ready to face the 5000-seat Crocoseum. But the more I do the better it gets and the easier it will become. So you may see me around at the alligators, Freshwater Crocodiles and Scrapper's enclosure having a talk about these amazing reptiles, so stop and say hello - and a cheer would be great!

Until next time, Crocs Rule!