A man fishing on a riverbank in front of a sunbathing crocodile in Australia was captured on video by a Brit who could not help but call him out as being “stupid.”
The scene was filmed on the banks of the Russell River near Cairns in Queensland.
Independent TV identified the man taking video as British expat Tez Blackmore, who says in the video, “I’ve seen some stupid things in Australia and some stupid people, but this [takes the cake]. Croc on the beach. [He’s] fishing right next to it. He’s fully twice as long as that [stupid] person.”
Some commenters on 9 News Gold Coast’s Facebook page couldn’t believe the fisherman would be that close. Others were critical of the tourist for not warning the fisherman. Among the comments:
“Don’t worry about warning him, let’s just film him instead.”
“Yep, keep your voice down whilst filming so there’s a good chance the croc might catch him unawares.”
“Risking life & limbs for a feed of flathead? Ummm, no thanks!”
“Candidate for the Darwin awards.”
At least one commenter defended the angler’s actions.
“Croc is just basking in its home territory, not moving, not threatening, just chilling doing what crocs do. If the fisherman is not croc wise or aware of potential threats in the area around him that’s on him.”
And then there was Jesse Crampton, owner of Croc Country Australia who was more concerned with the safety of the crocodile known as Clyde. He also defended the fisherman.
“Unfortunately for Clyde, he chose the sunning bank right opposite the bridge, so he draws quite a lot of attention,” Crampton said.
“And he’s grown a lot these past years because he’s been getting fed lots.
“There’s a few wild cards going down there and chucking him food, which is certainly a no-go. That’s the next level, compared to fishing on the bank.
“I’ve personally seen over the years people down there feeding him fish, and big carcasses like wallaby carcasses of the road, doing their own attack shows.”
Crampton said this could prove a death sentence for Clyde, because if he becomes habitualized to humans his behavior could become more erratic.
If this happens, and he displays problematic behavior, he could be targeted for removal from the wild.”
As for the fisherman…
“In my opinion, he wasn’t down there provoking the crocodile or feeding the crocodile, he was just fishing,” Crampton told 9 News.
“Even though it looks extremely close, the croc is on land basking. It’s winter time up here, and he was still a fair distance away keeping an eye on the animal.”
Crampton told 9 News that the actions of the fishermen in the video are “not necessarily of concern,” but he does worry they might encourage copycats who don’t know how to read the large reptiles or others who push boundaries.
