St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s Croc School Trains Wildlife Professionals
ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida (July 2, 2026) – Each year, the country’s most esteemed crocodilian experts gather in Northeast Florida to teach the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park’s Crocodilian Biology and Management Course, lovingly referred to as “Croc School.” This highly specialized professional development course teaches zoo and aquarium staff from across the globe how to safely work with these large reptiles and ensure that endangered crocodilian species thrive and survive. On Saturday, April 18, Croc School graduated its 23rd class. Over two decades after the first course, Dr. Kent Vliet, one of its founders and instructors, remains thrilled by the students' dedication.
"When we first offered the course, we figured we would get 16 students every two years and give it five years to see how it went,” said Dr. Kent Vliet, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Board Member and Scientific Advisor. “Twenty-three years and over 500 students later, this course is more important than ever. As more crocodilian species become threatened and endangered, it’s critical that we have well-trained professionals overseeing their health and welfare. Their survival depends upon it.”
The Crocodilian Biology and Management Course is an intensive nine-day course taught by a team of experts, including staff from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, as well as professionals from other colleges, universities, zoos, and aquariums, including Zoo New England, North Carolina Zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Zoo Tampa, Bronx Zoo, University of Florida, and Florida International University. During the course, students learn about captive maintenance techniques, husbandry, breeding, and the special requirements for the care of crocodiles, caimans, gharials, and alligators in zoos and aquariums. The final day includes a hands-on training, teaching students how to capture the animals for routine health exams. Prospective students must apply for one of the twenty coveted spots, with priority admission granted to applicants from Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions, a designation that signifies the highest level of care and expertise across all areas of animal management. Professionals come from across the world to attend Croc School, from Latin America to Asia and everywhere in between. The next course takes place in April 2027.
“There tends to be a fear surrounding crocodilians, and one of the main purposes of this course is to mitigate those fears through training and understanding,” says Dr. Vliet. “With our critically endangered species, we work nationally and sometimes internationally to maintain populations and diversify the gene pool. It’s best for us and the animals to have herpetology teams that are capable and knowledgeable.”
