Reptiles from the centre have featured in National Geographic Magazine, Wild Relations – Natural Born Cheats on ABC, an American Visa television commercial, New Zealand's The Bounty Hunters television show on TV2, Steve Irwin's Great Escapes on Discovery's Travel Channel and Animal Emergency on Channel 9 Australia.

[4] The centre added a large saltwater crocodile exhibit in 2002, and in 2006 an extension funded by the Australian Tourism Development Program opened, featuring fossils which trace the evolution of reptiles from 200 million years ago to the present.

After several incidents which saw reptiles in the centre killed, management sought to convince local police and the Lands Department to increase security on the hill – a spot frequented by youths and itinerant drinkers.

[6] 13 animals were killed, including a 20-year-old 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) Spencer's goanna,[11][12] a turtle, bearded dragons, and thorny devils.

[13] Some of the animals were bludgeoned with a rock, and thrown over the fence to feed Terry, an 11 feet (3.4 m) 200 kilograms (440 lb) saltwater crocodile.

[17] Under Northern Territory laws – which state children under the age of 10 cannot be held legally accountable for their actions – the 7-year-old boy is too young to be charged with a crime, but the zoo director indicated that he would seek to sue his parents.