Australia is known for its wilderness and the sometimes extremely dangerous animals. A tourist in the Far North Queensland region also had to realize this: First he himself was attacked by a crocodile, a little later the animal ate its own dog in front of his eyes.
According to the Australian news agency AAP, the man wanted to go for an afternoon walk with his dog “Magic Molly” and swim in a nearby body of water. A video of the incident shows him going into the water at a boat dock. When he’s just knee-deep in the water, a giant crocodile comes out of nowhere and attacks him. As reported by the AAP, the animal was initially successful with its attack: it was able to bite the man in the leg, and the impact also caused the man to lose his balance for a short time and was knocked over.
Although the man was able to free himself from the crocodile’s catch, the attack did not end there: the animal, estimated to be more than four meters long, attacked the tourist’s dog and dragged him under the water. His master was no longer able to help the animal by hitting the crocodile’s head and body: Because of the attack, the crocodile was shot by gamekeepers a little later. Molly’s remains were also found in the reptile’s stomach during a subsequent examination.
Game wardens now advise against swimming in the area: “Swimming in the land of the crocodiles is a decision,” says Michael Joyce. “Those who want to protect themselves, their families and pets should make a good decision.”
Wednesday’s attack is the first in Queensland since May 2022, when a man in his 40s injured his arms and legs while swimming at Lawn Hill.
Sources: “Spiegel”, AAP
