Cranky croc steals a beer from Territorian Jayden Haycraft
“We watched him turn towards the Coopers can, throw the beer can up in the air and it exploded in his mouth.” WATCH THE INCREDIBLE VIDEO.
Northern Territory
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A CRANKY croc decided it had a gutful after its dinner was reeled in by fishos, attempting to reclaim a barra before chomping down on one of their beer cans.
Jayden Haycraft and his boss Richard Kenyon headed to Cahills Crossing to drop a line after work in Jabiru when a croc – about 4m long – appeared while they were casting.
“Richard had a couple of flicks then gave me the rod. As soon as I pulled the barra the croc popped up,” Mr Haycraft said.
Mr Haycraft and Mr Kenyon began to back away, reeling the barra up the concrete crossing with the croc close behind.
“My boss grabbed the line and we both bolted up the slope. The croc really wasn’t happy, we stole his tucker,” Mr Haycraft laughed.
“We left two beer cans there. We watched him turn towards the Coopers can, throw the beer can up in the air and it exploded in his mouth.
“He really wasn’t happy. It was the first bloody barra I’d caught in a year and a half and I got chased for it.”
Footage taken by Mr Haycraft shows the croc charging along the crossing while eyeing the fish, then chomping down on the beer can. They later retrieved the beer can which was understandably worse for wear.
Mr Haycraft, an NT local, said he’d heard about similar encounters but never had one himself.
He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“My adrenaline was boiling. From the fish I already had adrenaline and then there’s a croc chasing it,” he said.
“I was pretty bloody astounded. I see crocs all the time but never thought it’d happen.
“He was more keen on the beer than the fish.”
Mr Haycraft said the croc lurked while they returned to fishing but didn’t disturb them again.
After returning to Darwin, keen fisho Mr Haycraft was later devastated after he realised he left the barra back in Jabiru, planning to make a delicious dinner of it. Cahills Crossing is 286km from Darwin and is famous for crocs.
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