It has been a tough few weeks for Australian journalists, with several attacks on news teams covering the violent protests in the US. There have also been two attacks in London.
Many commentators suggest the increased number of attacks on media personnel may be due to American President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism, threats and insults against the media at home and abroad
That being the case, there is a Trump-supporting crocodile in the Northern Territory named Bone Cruncher who is good mates with outback saltwater croc wrangler Matt Wright. But, like The Donald, when he catches sight of a reporter he gets a little grumpy and goes on the attack.
9 News Darwin reporter Zarisha Bradley found this out for herself this week while filming an insert about the reopening of Wright’s safari camp this weekend.
Bradley was just finishing her chat to the camera and turned around to smile at Bone Cruncher chilling next to her boat. But he was unimpressed by her media credentials and leapt out of the water in an attempt to munch on the media instead.
You can see Bone Cruncher’s lunge here:
For her part, Bradley was shaken but not stirred and soon tweeted: “Can confirm it’s true what they say about giving a smile to a crocodile. It didn’t smile back.” A bit like Donald Trump, then.
On her Twitter feed, one wag later suggested that she could have been the unhappy recipient of a ‘Darwin lovebite’.
You can see her full TV insert about Bone Cruncher and Matt Wright here:
Several recent NT croc attacks on humans
There have been several attacks by NT crocodiles in recent months.
In May a 24-year-old man’s fingers had to be reattached after he was attacked by a croc while fishing at Mandorah, close to Darwin.
A 23-year-old man in Arnhem Land also escaped after he was grabbed by a crocodile while fishing on the Glyde River in April.
At the time, NT police officer Siiri Tennosaar said the man was hunting in waist-deep water when the crocodile attack him. “He was grabbed from behind by a 1.8 metre (crocodile) and the man held onto some mangroves and the crocodile for some reason released him and swam away,” she said.