Croc 1, Dundee 0 as Aussie reptile hunter goes home

[warnie]

Crocodile tears were filling the swampy waters of Hong Kong yesterday as an elusive reptile at the centre of a media frenzy bade farewell to the Australian hunter who failed to capture him.

Craggy-faced John Lever swaggered into Hong Kong two weeks ago touting his credentials as a real-life Crocodile Dundee after he was recruited to snare a scaly beast who appeared in the territory's marshes and eluded local trappers.

But despite two weeks of riding boats, laying baits, waving harpoons, and enduring the rigours of one of Hong Kong's most luxurious hotels, it was Lever rather than the crocodile who finally snapped and admitted defeat.

"I'm frustrated ... I think the croc has moved somewhere else and until it moves back into this area and is seen again there is not much I can do," a weary Lever said after the croc failed to show for the fourth night in a row.

The white-haired 61-year-old, who has basked in the intense media spotlight thrown on him and his 1.5 metre-long adversary, conceded fame had probably cost him victory and Hong Kong wasn't big enough for the both of them.

He said a combination of a excitable crowds tracking his every move, barking dogs and bright city lights had all contrived in his failure.

"My family have been teasing me saying my reputation is in tatters because I could not capture this little fella," Lever said.

To add insult, Lever said the crocodile was now lying low after gorging himself on meat left by the Queensland-based trapper in his effort to lure the reptile from his hiding place in Hong Kong's Yuen Long creek.

"I think he's probably got a bellyful of food and he's off digesting it somewhere," Lever said after the croc failed to make a guest appearance for the fourth night in a row.

"Crocodiles that size, with a bellyful of food, could take up to a week to digest it all."

Lever's arrival turned the crocodile's exploits into a much-needed pantomime for residents jaded by economic misfortunes, the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and political frustrations.

Thousands gathered on the slimy banks of the creature's haunts in the rural New Territories, close to the border with China, to watch the crafty croc parade under midday suns as Lever slept off his previous night's pursuit.

Before Lever, the beast had humiliated local agricultural officers, dodging their attempts to shoot him with a tranquiliser dart and taunting them by sliding into traps, snacking on chicken and pork baits, and escaping unscathed.

Hong Kong is now reportedly on the hunt for a new reptile expert from the Chinese mainland to fill Lever's mud-spattered boots.

Crocodiles are not native to Hong Kong and experts believe the renegade reptile, first sighted on November 2, is likely a pet or has escaped from a farm in southern China where exotic animals are consumed in restaurants.

In a last attempt to snatch victory from the yawning jaws of defeat, Lever pointed out that his exploits helped revive interest in Hong Kong at a time when the territory was desperately trying to boost its international image.

"The global appeal of the croc and its story represents a true story and a wonderful opportunity. My advice is to urge the people of Hong Kong to seize a wonderful tourism opportunity that has a truly worldwide appeal," he told reporters.

"You should not let this one get away."

[wellard]

Time to call for steve irwin the real crocadile hunter! [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

Originally posted by wellard: Time to call for steve irwin the real crocadile hunter! [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

lol, thats if hes still alive, I wouldnt be surprised if he wasnt [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Ghoul]

Yeah, I think he was strangled to death by two anacondas he thought to be "Croc-leather Boots of Snakespeed +3".

Geez, I think I play too much RPGs.

[ 11-28-2003, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: Ghoul ]

[Dreamer128]

I find it hard to believe that even now, in the 21st century, we are still being outsmarted by a piece of leather.