Irwin worked in his family's park when he was nine: feeding the animals, and taking care of the grounds. He began working with crocodiles when he was nine, and became a crocodile-trapper (someone who traps crocodiles without killing them) when he was older. Irwin trapped crocodiles that were near places where people lived, and kept them for the park. He also worked for free for the Queensland Government's "East Coast Crocodile Management program".