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Crocodile Attacks

G'day David, thanks for the greetings, there's a bit of a tale or two to this photo. I was out near a place called Broken Hill, on Lake Mungo, which is part of the Willandra Lakes Region, which 50 - 60,000 years ago was a series of fresh water lakes, with some of the earliest known human occupation in Australia. We have skeletal evidence of humanity that had significant burial practices and rituals, with their skeletal remains being of the Gracile type, as well as the Robust Type out there. A phenomenal and humbling experience, if your into that sort of thing, with evidence strewn around of early humanities stone industry, along with some of Australias mega fauna. A stunning place to visit (not in Summer though) if your on your way down here to visit the Antipodies, 4 star accomodation and don't forget your camera.
Anyway, The imprints either side of the cats paw marks (no claw marks and the lens cap is 58 cm -2 1/4") are a Kangaroos paw prints that the cat was chasing at the time (not a tail and top right of the photo is my foot print, size9) and they were both going flat chat.
I showed the photo to a couple of Rangers (both Koorie Fellas) and they looked at it for about 5 seconds without saying anything, then looked at each other and both said...S*&t!! at the same time. I reckon that they knew it wasn't a dingo or wild dog. They asked me where the whereabouts it was, so I told 'em and then asked them what were they going to do, thinking that they'd put down some baits and sort it out that way, "no mate, we'll get some road kill and our .243's, take some tucker and water, and wait. Unfortunately we'd already spent a week out there so we never found out what happened....
As you know, we don't have large Native cats here (officially), but every third or fourth country person has a tale about "That time I saw this cat, and I s*&t you not, it was bigger than a dishlicker (greyhound)".
I've had one experience as a 14 year old where I was out rabbiting, about an hour before sunset, and thought I saw my Dad's Labrador skulking up a gully, but It's tail was held out horizontally to the ground like a fox, and that tail was as long as it's body. Anyway, I looked through the scope and noticed that it was the oddest looking dog I'd ever seen, thick front legs and a short muzzle. I only had a .22 at the time, and Mrs Mungoman didn't raise stupid kids, so I just watched it climb up the gully to the scrub where it disappeared.
Every now and again we'd here strange sounds that weren't foxes screaming or koalas for that matter and now I look back and think on, I reckon it might have been that gully cat I saw.


I can see what you mean about my so-called 'tail-marks' now, it wasn't obvious at first viewing. That is a big print. What colour was you Dad's Labrador, black or yellow? I'm assuming the cat you mistook it for was a similar shade.
 
Childish, I know, but every time I read this thread title I unconsciously compose the imagine of a chain-smoking croc, lit only by the eerie glow of a computer monitor, making late-night phone calls with a pair of binoculars close at claw.

You see, now I have an image in my head of an anthropomorphic cartoon crocodile wearing a raincoat, sunglasses and a Fedora. I just can't remember where I have seen it. Back issue of 'Argosy' magazine?
 
Morning David, Casey was a golden lab and could blend in real well with the clay in the gullies, and the standing hay in the paddocks with his colouring and I was about 70 metres away from the gully when I saw the movement of his imitator. The interest in him was that Casey was a problem with the sheep, so we had to keep him on a short rein, for his own benefit. He never picked on the few that we had as far as I know (we grew polled herefords mainly), but he had no problem with the neighbours sheep, which can cause bad blood. Anyway, one day one of the neighbours sorted him out with a lead Aspro, and then rang Dad to tell him that he had him and that we could pick'imup. These Aussies can be funny buggers at times...
 
Increase in number of saltwater crocodiles removed from Northern Territory waterways
By Lorna Perry
Posted about an hour agoWed 31 Dec 2014, 6:19pm

Photo: A problem crocodile caught in the Daly River in the Northern Territory. (Supplied: NT Parks and Wildlife)
Map: Darwin 0800
More dangerous saltwater crocodiles have been caught in the Northern Territory in 2014 compared to last year, but the total figure was short of breaking the record.

A total of 287 crocodiles were caught this year, 31 fewer than the record.

Parks and Wildlife Commission ranger Tom Nichols said the number included 264 from the Darwin region and 16 from the Katherine region.

Photo: A ranger with a problem crocodile caught in the Daly River. (Supplied: NT Parks and Wildlife)


"This year's total is a significant increase on last year's tally of 226 and close to the 2012 record of 318," he said.

Rangers have pulled an average of five crocodiles out of Northern Territory waterways each week.

The biggest catch was a 4.75-metre problem crocodile who had developed a taste for dogs in an Aboriginal community at Daly River.

"He was probably one of the fattest ones I've seen for a while, he turned around in the trap but had a lot of trouble turning around, so he was basically pushing the sides of the trap out a bit when he did turn so he was in good condition," Mr Nichols said.

Mr Nichols said crocodile numbers had been up and down for the past four years, but appeared to be levelling out.

2014 was the deadliest on record for crocodile attacks in the Top End, with four deaths.

"During the dry season, yes the numbers do drop off, sightings get a little bit lower, but the thing is they're still there, still around and people have just got to remember to be croc-wise and think safety all the time and still enjoy our waterways," he said.

Mr Nichols said he hoped 2015 would set the record for no fatalities.

Photo: A problem crocodile which had acquired a taste for dogs was removed from the Daly River. (Supplied: NT Parks and Wildlife)


Topics: crocodile, animal-attacks, darwin-0800, daly-river-0822
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4 February 2015 Last updated at 00:00 GMT
Facing the crocodile that 'ate my wife'
By Jason Caffrey BBC World Service

Four months ago, Demeteriya Nabire was killed by a crocodile when she went to the lake near her home to fetch water. The animal later came back to the area but found Nabire's husband waiting, ready to take revenge.

Demeteriya Nabire was at the water's edge with a group of women from her village - they were gathering water from Uganda's Lake Kyoga when the crocodile grabbed her. It dragged her away and she was never seen again.

Her husband, Mubarak Batambuze, was devastated - Nabire was pregnant when she died, and he had lost not only his wife but an unborn child as well. He felt powerless. But then last month he heard the crocodile had returned.

"Somebody called me and said, 'Mubarak, I have news for you - the crocodile that took your wife is here - we are looking at it now.'"

The 50-year-old fisherman made his way to the lake with some friends. "He was a very big monster, and we tried fighting him with stones and sticks. But there was nothing we could do," he says.

So Batambuze went to visit the local blacksmith.

"I explained to him that I was fighting a beast that had snatched and killed my wife and unborn baby. I really wanted my revenge, and asked the blacksmith to make me a spear that could kill the crocodile dead.

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Mubarak Batambuze with the spear he ordered from the blacksmith

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Full article here, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31001996
 
A 2.2m (7.2ft) crocodile that ripped a woman's arm off in north-west Australia has been killed.

The woman, in her 60s, was sitting by a creek at Wyndham when the saltwater crocodile attacked her.

She was flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Darwin and remains in hospital in a stable condition.

Wildlife authorities told the BBC that traps were deployed to capture the "problem crocodile".

"Because this crocodile attacked a person and was in an area used by people and pets, it was imperative that we removed it and we ensured that it was destroyed quickly and humanely," Parks and Wildlife district wildlife officer Peter Carstairs said in a statement.

Media reports said the woman's arm was severed just above her elbow.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-35308162
 
When we were up north on a tour all the guides told us to stay 3 metres from the water because of crocodiles.
One guide told us it was safe to swim with fresh water crocodiles because their jaws were too small to bite a human but there was a woman this week with bite marks from one.
Myself I wouldn't risk it.
 
When we were up north on a tour all the guides told us to stay 3 metres from the water because of crocodiles.
One guide told us it was safe to swim with fresh water crocodiles because their jaws were too small to bite a human but there was a woman this week with bite marks from one.
Myself I wouldn't risk it.

From Wikipedia:

Although the freshwater crocodile does not attack humans as potential prey, it can deliver a nasty bite.
There have been very few incidents where people have been bitten whilst swimming with freshwater crocodiles, and others incurred during scientific study.
An attack by a freshwater crocodile on a human was recorded at Barramundi Gorge (also known as Maguk) in Kakadu National Park and resulted in minor injuries; the victim managed to swim and walk away from the attack.
He had apparently passed directly over the crocodile in the water. However, in general, it is still considered safe to swim with this species, so long as they are not aggravated.

Yeah, I wouldn't chance it.
 
A bloke I never met took his son and dog fishing on Cahill's causeway on the Aligator River that goes across to the Aboriginal Lands on the Coburg peninsula. I was there in 1997, 8 and 9 and observed whistling kites diving for scraps the tourists were throwing into the sky. Anyway, this bloke caught a barramundi (Aussie freshwater fish - fantastic eating) and reeled it in to the causeway. As he leaned over to pick it up a salty took his head clean off at the neck.
 
For crying out loud, IT'S A CROCODILE!

Sure, they have a right to live. But there is no shortage of the damn things, and they can and will eat people. So killing them is no great sin.

The American Alligator was, not so long ago, an endangered species. They were protected by law. Now, people are missing, pets vanish, these are not endangered creatures, they're endangering.

Compared to a crocodile, the alligator is fairly placid, preferring smaller prey-opossums, raccoons,lizards, cats and Yorkies- but in the right mood, and when hungry, they will eat pythons, white tail deer,other alligators, and YOU.

They will also adopt your yard(and swimming pool) if their dim, reptile minds decide to do that.

Relocate them to your barbecue.

(you good folk in the UK have no raccoons-often described as cats with thumbs-and the fecundity of them is mind-boggling. I used to be the benefactor of a small family of them-polite critters-and came to know them well. Well enough to realize that although only one came for supper each night, there were more of them all the time. Same thing with creatures like alligators and crocodiles(or squirrels-rats with better fashion sense) , they will overbreed. Beware!)
Never heard such rubbish. Crocodiles should not be killed for eating people. They are only doing what they evolved to do. They kill to eat not for fun or sadistic needs like humans. Humans killers are kept alive and they have a lot less right to live than an animal just hunting for food. And crocodile minds are not 'dim'. Crocodiles learn and exhibit complex behaviour.
 
It certainly is credible, saltwater crocs are the most dangerous water predator, (with the possible exception of Bull Sharks) they account for hundreds of people in Indonesia each year. I read one report where a woman and two men were by the water, they thought they were safe, because the water was ankle deep for many yards before it grew deeper. the croc crept up, grabbed her and was away before the men who were standing next to her could do anything about it.
Even if you had a gun you wouldnt be safe, they are masters of the ambush.
Croc's kill far more people than all sharks species combined. It' est. that upwards to 2000 people a year die from crocodile attacks. The main culprits are the salt water and the Nile crocodiles. Hundred's die in areas like Indonesia, New Guinea and the Philippines from salt water crocodile attack. I have no dought that the poor man was eaten by such a beast, they are common in the estuaries and rivers of northern Australia. A specimen in the Bhitarkanika Park in the state of Orissa, India is 23'. There are fatalities in India and Ceylon as well. Unofficial records exist for crocs killed in Papua New Guinea during the early portion of the 20th century at over 8 meters.
Sorry for the picture quality but it's a pretty big croc.
 

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You can hold a crocs jaws shut wiith your hands. The bite down with 5000lbs of pressure per square inch ( a great white shark hass only 400lbs biting power). But the opening muscles are very weak. However a big croc would just shake it head and fling you like a doll. They can kil and eat tigers, lions and sharks so humans are no problem.
Old Rover is the C4 show the one with rap 'artist' Robbert Twigger? If so i've seen it, he,s a dick.
Sorry for the late reply. The croc's that can exert (4 to 5) thousand pounds of bite force are generally 15' in length or more. The large croc's have the strongest bite force of any living animal and have been known to crush the bones of zebra and wildebeest in Africa. Note some species are narrow jawed and cannot bite with such force. Only the Salt Water, American, Nile and Orinoco crocodiles can grow to 15' or more. The American alligator and the Black Caiman although not true crocodiles can approach 15' and get honorable mention.

A big salty's can take on a tiger, however the muggers give way to the tigers in India where both animals coexist. As for lions and nile croc's it can either way usually depending on weather the battle takes places in the water or on the land which is the lion's domain. They generally have a small DMZ around the edge of the rivers and watering holes.

I've seen a couple of these brave men (on TV) like Irwin and O'shea jump on the business end of a big croc and they claim as you do it's dangerous. They can close the mouth with their hands (until they get it taped up). As these muscles that open the mouth are not so strong as Lordmongrove previously mentioned.

Although technically coldblooded the croc can regulate it's temperature much better than most reptiles by using a multi-chambered heart. The only reptile to possess such an organ. Also they proven to be by far and away the most intelligent reptile and can learn from previous events, thus not acting solely out of instinct as many other cold blooded animals.

 
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Muggers have been known to drive tigers from their kills and steal them. A big mugger could drag a tiger underwater and kill it.
 
Muggers have been known to drive tigers from their kills and steal them. A big mugger could drag a tiger underwater and kill it.
The mugger is a medium sized croc with adult males averaging 10'. I've remember seeing a documentary where a Bengal tiger went into the water and took an antelope away from 3 good sized muggers. This likely wouldn't have happened with a salty, which average about 14' to 15' for adult males.

According to Guinness the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Orissa State, India, houses the world’s largest saltwater crocodile at 23 ft long. Unofficial records of > 26’ have supposedly been shot in Papua New Guinea.
 
A tiger could be a match for a small mugger but not a real big one and certainly not in the water. In the book Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature Charles Knight notes that in times of drought when tigers approached water muggers would grab and kill them..
The biggest saltie was 28 feet 4 inches shot in Australia in 1957. There are reports of much bigger ones.
 
A tiger could be a match for a small mugger but not a real big one and certainly not in the water. In the book Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature Charles Knight notes that in times of drought when tigers approached water muggers would grab and kill them..
The biggest saltie was 28 feet 4 inches shot in Australia in 1957. There are reports of much bigger ones.
Sorry but the tiger wins at least against these muggers (in the water), see video. BTW I'm going by the official record awarded by Guinness for the worlds largest saltwater crocodile. As with most animals unofficial records exist.

 
A woman killed by a crocodile in Australia's north was celebrating the end of her friend's cancer treatment.

Cindy Waldron, 46, was swimming at Thornton Beach near Cairns in Queensland state when a crocodile dragged her away.

Her friend, 47-year-old Leeann Mitchell, tried to pull her to safety, police said.

Ms Waldron had travelled from New South Wales to be with Ms Mitchell as she completed her treatment.

Media reports said the pair, both originally from New Zealand, were walking arm-in-arm in knee-deep water before the attack, which occurred in Australia's Daintree National Park

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36375769
 
A woman killed by a crocodile in Australia's north was celebrating the end of her friend's cancer treatment.

Cindy Waldron, 46, was swimming at Thornton Beach near Cairns in Queensland state when a crocodile dragged her away.

Her friend, 47-year-old Leeann Mitchell, tried to pull her to safety, police said.

Ms Waldron had travelled from New South Wales to be with Ms Mitchell as she completed her treatment.

Media reports said the pair, both originally from New Zealand, were walking arm-in-arm in knee-deep water before the attack, which occurred in Australia's Daintree National Park

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36375769


Extremely bloody unfortunate for all involved, but, these people were both from a couple of thousand K's away, and either didn't know the utter danger of going near water[not in water, but near water] when it's dark, or thought to themselves it couldn't happen to me.

Sorry business all round.
 
When we were on tour we were told to stay at least 3 metres away from water. In Darwin we had thought of going for a walk along the beach but there were warning signs up and
 
We were told to keep 3 metres away from waters where they might be crocodiles when we were on tour.
In Darwin we had thought we might go for a walk along the beach in the evening but there were warning signs and fences to discourage people .
 
Woman scares off crocodile with flip-flop in Australia
20 minutes ago

A woman has scared away a salt water crocodile, which was swimming towards her and her dog, by slapping her flip-flop at it.

Crocodile enthusiast Lundon Anlezark, who filmed the incident, said: "I don't think she realised how dangerous this kind of behaviour is".

It is thought that are at least 120 crocodiles in this stretch of the East Alligator River, in Kakadu National Park.

The last fatal attack there was in 1987.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37533731?ocid=socialflow_twitter

Vid at link.
 
Croc acting defensively in this case!

Man snorkels headfirst into crocodile, escapes with only minor injuries
The waters surrounding Lizard Island in Queensland are a known hotspot for crocodiles.

2 hours ago 7,582 Views 11 Comments

A MAN WHO accidently snorkeled headfirst into a crocodile in northern Australia escaped with minor injuries yesterday.

Wildlife officers are now working to track down the reptile.

The croc, measuring up to two metres (6.5 feet), “reacted defensively” when the swimmer “inadvertently” swum into it near popular Lizard Island in Queensland state.

“The man suffered minor cuts and abrasions to his head and was treated for his non-life threatening injuries on the island,” a department of environment spokesperson said.

Wildlife officers are travelling to the area and will search the area for the crocodile responsible.
The waters surrounding Lizard Island are a known hotspot for crocs with signs in the area cautioning swimmers of the threat. ...

http://www.thejournal.ie/crocodile-lucky-escape-australia-3355233-Apr2017/?utm_source=twitter_self
 
Definitely a Fortean twist, a croc charmer.

Videos showing a crocodile returning a man's body to land after a "charmer" performed a ritual have gone viral in Indonesia.

Local media reported that a 41-year-old man named Syarifuddin was bathing in a river in Berau, East Kalimantan - about 1,500 km north-east of Jakarta - when a two-meter long crocodile snatched him and took him further into the river.

A friend who was at the scene when the incident happened on Tuesday reported the accident to local police, but Syarifuddin could not be found. The next morning, local villagers asked for help from a "crocodile charmer".

After the charmer preformed a ritual, a crocodile appeared with a dead body in its mouth, leaving it near the riverbank, reports said. It is not known if the crocodile which delivered the body was the same crocodile which killed the man. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-40680945?ocid=socialflow_twitter
 
That is a highly unusual event. Spooky, even.
 
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