About 30 years ago, I had the privilege of spending time with (Sydney
University's) Professor Harry Messel and his team who were working on their
Blythe River crocodile monitoring program.
Prof. Messel gave me a reprint to read. (Alas I've forgotten now what
scientific journal it was in.) In it Messel described an event from early on
in his crocodile research when he attached radio-transmitters to mature
crocodiles to be able to track them and monitor their behaviour.
His team (3 men) were trying to check on one big croc to see whether the
radio was still securely fastened. The croc was basking on the mud-flat on
the other side of the river. There was a large mangrove on the edge of the
bank. They climbed it for a better look, but even with binoculars they
still weren't satisfied.
One of them said that if one splashes a leafy branch in the water, it
attracts crocs - sounds like a fish in distress.
They did this. Almost immediately the croc raised his head, then waddled
down into the water. Swam out a few metres then disappeared.
They waited.
A short time later, his head broke the surface immediately below the tree
they were in, paused for a fraction of a second, then lunged. And it was
only the great good fortune of a small branch deflecting the croc's strike
that saved the bottom bloke on the tree.
So no, one doesn't have to walk right into one.
Cheers
Syd
(I wonder if there's anyone on b-aus who can track down Harry Messel's note.
If trying, be aware that I'm not certain that his name doesn't end in two
'l's - Messell, though I think not.)
> From: Peter Shute <>
> Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 17:16:21 +1000
> To: "" <>,
> "" <>,
> ""<>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] sensible birding in the top end?
>
> "Also, in the dry crocodiles can be found quite a long way from water."
>
> Denise, do crocodiles actually attack far from water, or is the danger mainly
> of walking right into one?
>
> Peter Shute
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