It was bath day for the crocodiles at a botanical garden in central Japan. Zookeepers on Tuesday gave the reptiles their annual year-end scrubbing.

It's not a small task. The Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden in Higashi Izu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, keeps 100 crocodiles and alligators of 15 different breeds.

The keepers began the cleaning work in a section that is home to large species, such as the Siamese crocodile and American alligator, which can grow over 3 meters long.

Visitors watched the workers scrub the heads, backs and tails of the reptiles to remove a year's worth of caked-on moss and mud.

A boy who was looking on said the crocodiles were docile and charming.

A keeper said he hopes the reptiles will ring in the New Year refreshed with their clean bodies.