In Australia friends and family often drop-in unannounced, this apparently applies to neighbouring wildlife as well.
We’ve all heard of lounge lizards but crocodiles?
In this case, residents in the Northern Territory arose to discover an unexpected guest – a saltwater crocodile that had made himself at home in their lounge room (3 meters from their bedroom door). Measuring more than 1.5 meters the comfortable croc was eventually captured by wildlife rangers who suspect the croc escaped from a nearby farm and may have been stalking the owners dog or seeking saltwater.
The Crocodile Management Unit’s Dani Best (the female crocodile catcher who wrestled the reptile into submission) says male crocodiles are jostling for territory at this time of year, and some find themselves pushed out.
“Being the peak season, you see a substantial increase in the activity and movement of crocodiles, particularly around the rural area,” she said.
After the crocodile was secured they noticed some of the ridges on the crocodile’s back – called scoots – had been cut off.
Farmed crocodiles have certain scoots cut off as part of a numbering system to identify them.
Ms Best told the NT News the crocodile was taken back to its farm straight away.
The homeowner Ms Dodd, who moved to Bees Creek from Ludmilla in September, said croc escapees were an ongoing joke in the area.
“This incident serves as a reminder for people to remain croc wise and take caution in around waterways of the Top End.”
Watch the video: “Darwin Family Wakes to Find Salty in Lounge”
Source: The above story (edited for content and length) is reprinted from materials provided by ABC News and the Herald Sun.
