idnight Snack 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
What (besides beer) is Australia probably the most famous for? Saltwater crocodiles. Who is one of the most famous Australians alive today? Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter." And what is one of the most popular activities for foreigners visiting Australia? The opportunity to view these "amazing beauties" in their natural habitat. Tourists come from all over the world to visit the wild places of Australia, and the saltwater crocodile is one of the premier tourist attractions. Open water is routinely posted with graphic warning signs to let people know that swimming with these dinosaur-era carnivores is not a good idea. The signs typically show the figure of a human between the jaws of a croc, and have proven effective enough that no one has been killed by a saltie in the Northern Territories since 1998. At least, not until now.
Perhaps it was the full moon, or the warmth of the evening, that convinced a german woman in her twenties and her sister to go for a midnight swim in a billabong clearly posted with signs warning of the presence of the toothy beasts. The young women were members of an "adventure" group tour, and were staying the night at a nearby campground. Seven of the tour group members chose to ignore common sense and the posted warnings, and this young woman got more of an adventure than is generally advertised by the tour group.
Northern Territories police commander Max Pope stated "I am not sure why they entered the water. There were signs there. I assume that, because of the warm night, the full moon, the billabong would have looked idyllic and may have caused people to overlook the dangers that lurk there."
The "dangers that lurk there" took the form of a 12 foot saltie, which swept by the young woman's sister on it's way to dine on the young woman.
"The sister of the deceased person felt something bump her and then saw a large shape which took hold of her sister," stated commander Pope. The croc only released the young woman's body hours later when it was hunted down and harpooned by rangers from nearby Kakadu National Park.
Alas, the idyllic days of summer are over for both the young woman and hungry croc, who paid for his midnight snack with his own life.
"This morning the crocodile was located still holding the deceased. It was harpooned by wildlife officers which caused it to drop the deceased. The crocodile was secured, and is now deceased," reported commander Pope.
Submitted on 10/23/2002
Submitted by:
Jbearlaw@aol.com
Reference:
Reuters October 23, 2002
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