Zoo workers have been forced to rescue a mangled lawn mower after it fell foul of a grumpy crocodile.
Elvis the croc, who resides at Australian Reptile Park, New South Wales, Australia, took issue with the noisy grass trimmer as it shortened the green in his enclosure.
Waking up and choosing violence, he entered into a tug of war with operations manager Tim Faulkner, who had not yet realised that the mower no longer belonged to him.
After a short tussle and a threatening head shake, Tim came to his senses and, with a shout of “let it go let it go” from an onlooker, remembered that he was in a fight with a reptilian apex predator and released his grasp.
Elvis, victorious and the proud owner of a new four-wheeled, petrol-powered mower then dunked it into the water of his enclosure.
While initially unclear whether the croc, who’s thought to be over 50, knew how to use the garden tool he then gripped its wheel while the deadly blade still span right in front of his nose.
While he managed to avoid having his nose cut off, the thieving croc did pay a price for his actions, AZ Animals reported.
Footage shows Faulkner picking up two enormous teeth from the ground, casualties of the melee.
In a terrifying reminder that Tim made the right decision by letting go, he holds one of the teeth up to his arm to show the true scale of the beast.
”Once he got it, he just sat there and guarded it,” he said.
”It was his prize, his trophy. If it moved, then he would attack it again.”
It took a team of zookeepers to distract Elvis with kangaroo meat while Tim swam down into the water to retrieve the mangled mower and the two three-inch teeth.
Elvis, who was wild and thought to be one of the biggest crocs in the state, was captured after he began harassing fishing boats in Darwin Harbour.
“He is so full of testosterone that he views everything as a threat,” Faulkner said. “Even potential mates.
“When they are the dominant croc, they’re just full of testosterone”.
“He’s got his beautiful own yard, he wants to be a solitary creature. He’s happy.”
“I can’t lie, the bosses are not going to be happy about the cost of a new lawn mower,”
“[But] we love it. No one’s injured … and when you get scared and it all turns out to be good, it’s actually quite enjoyable.”
This article by Harry Thompson was first published by The Daily Star on 8 January 2023. Lead Image: Elvis is a territorial croc, his keepers say (file) (Image: AFP/Getty Images).
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