A joke with bite

The many dangers facing visitors to Australia have been well documented, but tourists would normally feel safe in one of the country’s many swimming pools. At least, they should until now, after a saltwater crocodile was found in a public swimming pool near the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. The Daily Telegraph reports that the three-foot-long beast, which is thought to have been put into the pool as a joke, could have inflicted a nasty bite on anyone who came within range of its jaws. A spokesman for the leisure centre is quoted as saying: “I have no idea why anyone would do such a thing. Luckily it was only little.” Indeed, saltwater crocodiles can grow to around 20 feet in length and are common right across northern parts of Australia. Wildlife experts were summoned to come and take the crocodile away; it was transported to a nearby farm and released. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad