Cage of Death puts tourists in croc's lair

A new theme park hopes to lure tourists into a "Cage of Death" for a close encounter with a 5.5m crocodile.

Just 4cm of acrylic will separate brave punters from the jaws of Choppa - a feisty saltwater croc.

Top End tourists will climb into a clear box before being lowered into Choppa's lair.

They'll then spend 15 minutes inside the 2.8m high cage and watch Choppa, who lost both front feet while fighting other crocodiles, trying to take a bite out of them.

One of the first people to climb into the Cage of Death, Jim Charles, told the Northern Territory News it was a scary experience. “You just feel the power when it hit the cage,” Mr Charles said. “You wouldn't have a chance (without the cage).”

The owners of the $29 million Crocosaurus Cove theme park, which is scheduled to open in Darwin next week, have described the feature attraction as “a shark cage without the bars”.

Another seven crocodile enclosures will feature underwater viewing windows, and one will have a swimming area next to the viewing window so visitors get a sense of swimming with the crocs.

The most famous crocodile to be housed at the park is Burt, who starred as the beast that nearly ate Linda Koslowski’s character in Crocodile Dundee.

The owners say there will be more than 100 crocodiles, 200 fish, 40 turtles and 76 snakes and lizards on display.