CROCODILE hunter and conservation king Steve Irwin paid a flying visit to Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury.

Down Under's very own Doctor Dolittle arrived by helicopter for a whistle-stop visit as part of the ongoing collaboration in conservation between Australia Zoo and the John Aspinall Foundation.

For once it was not giant reptiles on his mind but the wellbeing of a no less formidable animal, the gorilla.

Mr Irwin said: "I love this joint and I love these gorillas. They're the finest in the world."

He said he and his team had a strong bond with Howletts and Port Lympne at Hythe. He stressed: "It's about working together to help promote and conserve this icon of a species."

With Port Lympne, Howletts is celebrated the world over for its care of the giant ape, and Mr Irwin was here last year when seven captive-born gorillas left for a new home in the Gabonese forest, West Africa.

This time, he spent much of the trip observing a routine veterinary operation on an 18-year-old named Matibi.

The gorilla was put under general anaesthetic for 15 minutes while a lesion on her mouth was examined. The wound had caused the animal's weight to plummet from 115kg to 95kg, but vets found no sign of any cancerous growth and she is expected to make a full recovery.

During his visit Irwin chatted to visitors and even got to show off his crocodile wrestling skills to brothers Christopher and Steven Dennis, aged 14 and 16 from Herne Bay, even if it was a cuddly one bought in the gift shop. One young fan sheepishly handed him an early Christmas card.

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK'S KENTISH GAZETTE