Tourist’s crocodile stunt angers Australian officials
Danish tourist slammed by Australian officials for mounting a crocodile after baiting it with a dead wallaby.
A young man claiming to be the “Danish Crocodile Dundee” has been chastised by Australian wildlife officials who find no humor in a “reckless” stunt where he jumped on a massive crocodile.
Niels Jensen made waves on social media Monday for hopping on the back of a burly saltwater crocodile, which was roughly 15 feet and weighed over 1,430 pounds, News.com.au reported.
In the 50-second clip, which has been viewed over 9,700 times on YouTube, the 22-year-old baits the reptile with a wallaby carcass in what’s believed to be a wildlife park near Darwin in the North Territory, as per Newsweek.
After bringing the crocodile to a halt by distracting him with the carcass, Jensen walks behind the creature, hops on its back and beams at the camera.
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Though his companions can be heard giggling in the background, an Australian wildlife official says the incident is no laughing matter.
“Saltwater crocodiles are large and potentially dangerous animals and we encourage everyone to be croc-wise at all times,” Tracy Duldig, acting director of operations for the region’s Department of Tourism and Culture, told CairnsPost.com.au of the stunt.
According to Newsweek, Jensen is a recent grad of a wildlife management course, and has been busy traveling through and working in the area.
“After seeing what a crocodile is capable of doing, I don’t think it was dangerous, I know [it was],” he admitted. “Even with a crocodile like this that is used to humans, it is a scary feeling sitting on something that could kill you in a fraction of a second.”
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Moving forward, Duldig told Newsweek that Jensen may face an investigation – regarding not the crocodile, but the dead wallaby.
“This is a protected species and it is illegal to take or interfere with protected wildlife. Heavy penalties can apply,” she said. “The Department … will investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident."
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