3-year old boy plays with alligator – PHOTOS

These pictures are enough to make the most undaunted of animal lovers wince.

They show three-year-old Charlie Parker confidently swimming with a North American alligator called Gump, lifting him up, and then wrestling with his squirming body before cradling him to the bank.

The plucky youngster, who claims to be Australia's youngest wildlife ranger, is already an expert reptile wrangler who is at ease handling 2.5m boa constrictors.

Junior keeper Charlie, who is pictured grinning while swimming with snout-restrained Gump, comes from a long line of relatives who own and run the Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria.
While many parents are over-anxious to protect their children from any danger, Charlie has been raised to play with and learn about lizards and snakes.

Junior keeper Charlie, who is pictured grinning while swimming with snout-restrained Gump, comes from a long line of relatives who own and run the Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria.
While many parents are over-anxious to protect their children from any danger, Charlie has been raised to play with and learn about lizards and snakes.

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