Crocodile alarms visitors after it tries to climb fence in Australia wildlife park

Crocodile gets part of its body over fence in Australia wildlife park, to visitors’ alarm

Visitors to a wildlife park in Australia were alarmed to see a crocodile trying to climb a fence to apparent freedom.

Fortunately, it was pushed back down by a keeper.

Crocodile managed to get snout over fence in Australia

The crocodile’s valiant escape attempt was captured in a TikTok video posted on 1 July by a visitor to the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park in Broome, Western Australia.

It showed that the crocodile’s front limbs had already managed to grip the top of the fence, with its long snout leaning over — like it could bite someone at any moment.

However, its short hind legs could not get enough grip on the fence to hoist itself over.

Shocked onlookers could be heard saying, “oh my god!” and “no!”

Another video posted by the same user from a different angle showed that the crocodile’s head was easily seen poking out from over the fence.

Australia keeper pushes crocodile down from fence

However, a seemingly unperturbed keeper told the crowd that he was going to let the crocodile “settle down a bit” so he knows he’s “not going to try and jump out”.

Sure enough, the reptile soon slumped down, having failed to get over the fence.

The keeper then prodded the underside of its snout with a stick, causing it to crumple to the ground, defeated.

Crocodiles can climb, say researchers

Those surprised that crocodiles can climb fences should take note that in 2018, a saltwater crocodile was seen climbing up a waterfall, also in Australia.

The video footage was taken by a woman who was fishing from a boat on the Roper River in the Northern Territory, reported ABC News.

She said it was a steep bank and the crocodile eventually slipped back into the water, but the sight was “amazing” and something she hadn’t seen before.

Crocodiles can climb trees, too, a 2014 Reuters report quoted University of Tennessee researcher Vladimir Dinets as saying.

Though they lack the proper toe and foot structure for climbing, they are agile enough to climb slowly, he added.

Dr Dinets also said a study had recorded crocodiles climbing 1.8m, but he had received anecdotal reports of the reptiles climbing as high as 9m from the ground — which can be the height of a tall tree.

Also read: Man missing after being dragged into Sarawak river by crocodile while fishing

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Featured image adapted from @sophia_armstrong on TikTok.