A farmer in Australia reportedly bit a crocodile on the eyelid in an apparent act of self-defence and prevent a second instantaneous fatal attack by the majestic reptile.
The incident reportedly occurred near the Finnis River in southern Australia last month. The person has been identified as cattle herder Colin Deveraux. Deveraux was attacked by a 3.2-metre-long crocodile when he was on his way to put up fences near the river. The farmer was described as a “veteran” in his sixties by the country’s public broadcaster ABC News.
“It was a big grab and he shook me like a rag doll and took off back into the water, pulling me in,” Deveraux told ABC News.
It was reported that Deveraux attempted to kick the reptile in the ribs with his left foot and then, when the crocodile continued to be aggressive, bit the animal back.
“I was in such an awkward position but by accident, my teeth caught his eyelid. It was pretty thick, like holding onto leather, but I jerked back on his eyelid and he let go,” he said.
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The crocodile reportedly gave a chase to the farmer for “maybe four metres” before it stopped within a matter of eight seconds.
Deveraux was then driven by his brother to a hospital about 130km away, where he is receiving treatment since past month. According to reports, doctors expect he will be discharged from the hospital soon enough this month.
Deveraux claimed that the reptile that attacked him had been “removed” by the authorities, a claim that couldn’t immediately be verified.
There are estimated to be nearly 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the wild in Australia’s Northern Territory. According to the publicly available records, there are more saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory than Queensland and Western Australia (WA).
