TV pest controller Jimmy Clarke is helping kids enjoy nature. Samantha Laurie explains
On a steamingly hot farm in Queensland, Australia, three men are trying to manoeuvre a snapping and agitated 14-foot crocodile using a flimsy sheet of wire fencing as a shield. Among them is 27-year-old Jimmy Clarke, his panic visibly mounting.
“My toes are four inches away from its mouth and I’m losing faith in this fence,” he gulps sweatily to the camera. The croc snaps angrily at his feet.
“I reckon it’s two inches, mate,” deadpans his Ozzie counterpart.
Hilarious and bonkers, this is a typical scene from Deadliest Pests Down Under, which launches its second series on the TV channel, Dave this month. Clarke is one of its unexpected stars, a pest control expert from Fulham who forsakes his conventional prey – mice and moths – to track dingoes, chase kangaroos from within the confines of an old folks’ home and remove giant pythons from supermarket car parks.
Now, with filming over, Clarke is back on home turf with a new mission: to get kids out and about in the suburban wilds of Richmond Park and Gunnersbury Park, discovering their own local birds, bugs and beasties.
“London’s parks are teeming with wildlife, from deer and badgers to newts, bugs, frogs, toads, slow worms and exotic birds,” he says. “Our aim is to get kids excited about the wildlife around them. We build shelters, learn about bushcraft and conservation, go tracking and play outdoor games.”
Jimmy’s Adventure Club runs weekends and school holidays. Three-hour sessions for 7-12 years cost £30; see en-gb.facebook.com/jimmysadventureclub
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