A tourist visiting the Northern Territory has taken home some unlikely memorabilia from his trip, a few bite marks from a hungry crocodile.
The 36-year-old Queenslander found himself on a baby freshwater croc’s dinner menu while swimming in one of the state’s popular waterfalls.
According to News.com, the attack happened at Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park, 130km south of Darwin, at 7pm on Tuesday.
The swimming hole has now been closed off following the nibbling.
Speaking to ABC Radio Duty Superintendent Bob Rennie said, “He looked down and he had a baby croc hanging off him.”
“He’s wedged the jaws open and got it out and this little croc has given him a little shake and bitten him on the finger as well.”
The man treated his wounds himself and then drove to a clinic nearby to receive stitches.
“We’ve had little freshies in a lot of our swimming holes in the Territory for many, many years and 99 per cent of the time they don’t have a go at you, so maybe this little croc was spooked,” Rennie said.
The NT Department of Tourism and Culture said in a statement, “For visitor safety and to reduce the risk of human interaction with wildlife, the waterhole will stay closed for swimming until all practical steps have been taken to capture and or remove the crocodile.”
Rangers are still on the hunt for the metre-long croc, and are planning to remove it from the area when found.
