Man faces legal action after disturbing crocodile in Australia

A video surfaced on social media showed a man pulling a freshwater crocodile's tail. The Australian man now faces legal consequences for his reckless behaviour.

The video, which sparked unanimous condemnation from commenters, depicts an anonymous man pulling the tail of a small crocodile. It was shared online by a woman who recorded this "stunt."

The clip was shot in Australia, likely in the Northern Territory. The man, dressed in a tank top and flip-flops, repeatedly teased and disturbed the docile crocodile. In the end, he and his friend gave thumbs up and said, "Welcome to Australia." The most popular comment on Instagram read: "Sometimes I’m ashamed to be from Australia."

"Professional croc catcher" Tommy Hayes told yahoo.com that the freshwater crocodile posed no threat and was trying to escape. He emphasized: "Poor little guy, he's clearly scared. In the case of freshwater ones, all they want to do is escape." He added: "You're lucky to get close to one of them, so why make it a traumatic experience for him?"

Some commenters on social media claimed that the small crocodile appeared to be stuck between rocks in a stream. Hayes noted that even if that were the case, moving the crocodile should be left to professionals—wildlife officers who know how to do it without distressing the animal. He condemned the filmed stunt as "stupid," especially if it was solely for social media attention.

Animal rights advocate Paul Bowen stated that although injuries caused by freshwater crocodiles are rare, they can bite fiercely if they feel cornered. Harassing crocodiles in Australia's Northern Territory is also illegal. When the "hero" of the video is identified, he will face well-deserved trouble with law enforcement. The video quickly made its way to the "bogans" profile on Instagram. "Bogan" is an Australian derogatory term for a person who is, to put it mildly, unsophisticated and uncomplicated.