- You can’t get much more Australian than this.
We recently told you that Australia has a lot fewer venomous animals than you might think. That doesn’t make the place any less dangerous, though.
There are still plenty of creatures that can completely mess you up. Take, for instance, massive saltwater crocodiles.
One such beast recently attempted to make a snack out of Colin Deveraux, an Australian cattle farmer. However, the crocodile made one big mistake when it sunk its teeth into his foot.
It bit an Australian.
During the ensuing struggle, Deveraux chomped down on the monstrous reptile’s eyelid. Surprised, the animal let go and Deveraux managed to drag himself to safety.
Although he had saved himself from the crocodile’s jaws, he still came fairly close to losing his leg to infection. Fortunately, expert medical attention has allowed the man to keep his limb.
You know how they say not to gaze into the abyss, lest the abyss gaze back? We offer an updated saying — don’t bite an Australian, lest the Australian bite back.
‘Dirty Bastard’
Deveraux runs a cattle farm near Twin Hill Station in Australia’s Northern Territory. His crocodile encounter happened in early October on his property.
At the time, the farmer in his mid-60s was on his way to put up some fencing, when he happened upon a drying billabong. This story just keeps getting more and more Australian.
A bunch of fish swimming in the middle of the body of water caught Deveraux’s attention. But, as he went down to take a look, a monster came rushing out of the bushes.
“The water had receded and it was down to this dirty water in the middle,” Deveraux recalled for Australia’s ABC News.
“I took two steps and the dirty bastard latched onto my right foot.”
And it was a big bastard. According to the Deveraux, the crocodile measured roughly 10.5 feet long.
Deveraux said the beast chomped down onto his foot and shoe and began shaking him around “like a rag doll.” Once it was satisfied that Deveraux was sufficiently stunned, it began retreating into the billabong, dragging the man along with it.
Go for Its Eyes!
Deveraux wasn’t about to become crocodile chow without a fight, though. After all, he is Australian.
At first, he tried kicking the animal in its ribs with his free left foot. The huge crocodile, however, didn’t seem to think much about feeble human kicks.
Running out of options, Deveraux did the only thing he could — he bit the crocodile back right in its eye. That said, it wasn’t entirely intentional.
“I was in such an awkward position … but by accident, my teeth caught his eyelid,” Deveraux said.
“It was pretty thick, like holding onto leather, but I jerked back on his eyelid and he let go.”
As the surprised crocodile recoiled, Deveraux didn’t waste time. He hopped up onto his injured feet and began fleeing toward his car.
Seeing its dinner getting away, the crocodile tried to give chase. After some 15 feet, though, it gave up and returned to the billabong to wait for less bite-y prey.
On paper, the crocodile attack seems like a long struggle. However, according to Deveraux, it took place over a very short time.
“It all happened in about eight seconds I reckon,” he said.
‘I’ve Got to Change What I Do’
Deveraux had escaped from the beast’s jaws, but he still wasn’t in the clear. After all, he had big bite wounds on his foot and they were full of filthy water and mud.
The farmer quickly threw together a makeshift bandage from a towel and rope to stem his blood loss. He then asked his brother if he could get a lift to the nearest hospital some 80 miles away.
His brother obliged and rushed Deveraux to the Royal Darwin Hospital. There, doctors got to work to save his leg.
“The biggest problem was having to clear out all the bad bacteria … all of the billabong water full of mud, goose s***, duck s***, and crocodile teeth marks,” said Deveraux.
“[My foot] was opened up bad and over 10 days in a row, I think, they had to flush it.”
Deveraux ended up staying in the hospital for more than a month, during which he also received a skin graft on his foot. Fortunately, it seems he gets to keep his limb.
The farmer said he could feel and move his toes and is expected to walk out of the hospital unassisted. Yet, he doubts he’ll go back to farming the way he used to.
“I’ve got to change what I do. I’ve been walking around that swamp country too long fixing fences and living life, but it’s opened my eyes,” he mused.
It’s not that he’s scared of the crocodile, though. Deveraux said he’d made sure the animal was “removed” and would not harm anyone again.
That’s… Ominous.