Croc a bit snappy after zoo snooze

Sydney's Wild Life Zoo was a scene of fowl play as 700kg resident crocodile Rex woke from his six-month hibernation to enjoy a gourmet chicken feast.

The 55-year-old saltwater reptile munched on high-quality chicken with special 'croc seasoning' prepared by Victor Puharich from boutique butcher Victor Churchill.

"The customers that come through our doors usually aren't as scaly, so when this opportunity came up, we had to put our heads together and come up with something special," Mr Puharich said of feeding the star of the Darling Harbour attraction.

Rex has been in hibernation since April but developed an appetite for his favourite meal as the weather warmed up and his stomach started to grumble, senior zookeeper Michael Craig said.

"Judging by how quickly Rex ate his food, Victor hit the nail on the head with getting all the flavours just right," he said.

The general public can feed the giant carnivore - who has his very own Facebook page with more than 1400 likes - through the zoo's Crocodile Encounters program held three times a week.