I had an experience with a croc in the top end which I will never forget.
We were staying at Cooinda in Kakadu. I drove down to the bridge over the
Alligator river, aptly named, for some general birding, and really hoping I
might chance on a Black Bittern ( it still eludes me). A great spot, so I
thought I'd just find a nice place to sit and see what came past. In hindsight
I was a little foolish to choose to climb up a large eucalypt trunk which
leaned out over the water. But at the time it seemed like the perfect lookout.
I was a reasonable distance above the water, but I knew that if I fell in it
would be a bit dodgy. Anyway I enjoyed the views for a while until directly
below me in the water I spied two eyes looking back up at me. Below me was a
very large croc, and it was checking me out !! Now this is definately the
first and only time in my life that I have eyeballed another creature and felt
like I was being sized up as a meal. Its eyes were quite a long way apart, so I
knew it was a biggun !.
Needless to say I rapidly, but VERY carefully removed myself from the situation.
The next day I returned to the bridge, but stayed on the bridge. On the river
was a chap fishing from a little tin tub. He was standing up right at the bow
of his wobbly excuse for a boat, happily with rod in hand. From where I was
up on the bridge it was clear that what was probably the same very large croc
was on the move in the water and not far away from him. The croc was bigger
than his boat, and would only have had to nudge the side of it and he would
have been in the water. I doubt from where the fisherman was that he could
see the croc, but from the bridge the whole scene was clear. He was certainly
dicing with death,
I certainly wont be hanging around next to the waters edge in the top end again.
Cheers,
Simon Starr,
Pyramid Hill,
Victoria.
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