Home 
This may sound like a stupid question, but have you ever wanted to wrestle a crocodile? You’ve seen it done on television. Looks easy enough, right?
OK, this probably sounds like an even dumber question, but have you ever wanted to wrestle a croc while inebriated?
Yeah, sounds stupid, I know, but a 36 year old man in Broome, Australia recently did just that.
The man was not named in the official police report released to the West Australian News, but what is known about the man is that he was kicked out of a pub for being too drunk, and then he purposely climbed over a fence into a crocodile enclosure and attempted to ride a crocodile.
But not just any crocodile. A 16 foot long, 1800 pound croc named Fatso.
According to Sgt. Roger Haynes of the Broome police department, “Fatso took offence to this and spun around and bit [him] on the right leg.” During the attack, the crocodile ripped several chunks of flesh from the man’s leg.
Malcolm Douglas, the owner of the wildlife park that houses Fatso was more than a little surprised at the drunkard’s attempt. “No person in their right mind would try to sit on a 16 foot crocodile. Saltwater crocodiles, once they get hold of you, are not renowned for letting you go.” In fact, Douglas went on to say that the only reason the gentleman survived the encounter was because Fatso was feeling a bit sluggish due to the cool nights. “If it had been warmer and Fatso was more alert, we would have been dealing with a fatality.
The incident was reported only after the drunk, injured man stumbled back into the pub where all his troubles started earlier that evening. The manager of the bar, Mark Phillips, said the man reappeared at the bar around 11pm with “bits of bark hanging off him and flesh gouged out of his limbs.”
Because he was bleeding profusely, he was immediately taken to a hospital and put in surgery. At the time of the report, the man was still in recovery.
My bet is that this was the first – and last – time that this guy will ever hop a fence to wrestle a croc, drunk or not.
Click here for the online report.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Alcohol
Animals
Australia
Crocodile
Drunk
Stupid
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
