Photos of a man and a child fishing in the Northern Territory have gone viral and started a storm online. The pair were seen standing right at the edge of Cahills Crossing, a river known for being full of crocodiles.
People online shared the pictures and many were furious, one caption read: “And the parent of the year award goes to? This dude.” Another said it left them sick to their stomach, and someone else asked: “What is wrong with people?”
Not everyone agreed though, with a few saying it did not look that bad. But this spot is well known as a dangerous river. Warning signs are clearly posted at the site, including one that reads: “Do not risk your life” and another that says: “A fatal crocodile attack occurred here.”
Experts have spoken out about the risk. Matt Cornish, who is with Community Representation of Crocodiles, said: “Cahills Crossing is considered to be a high-risk crocodile location where people need to be extremely vigilant. We have had crocodile fatalities there over the last couple of decades.”
Another reptile handler named Mick Bender explained that visitors should keep at least five meters back from the edge because crocodiles can strike half their body length in a split second.
Professional crocodile wrangler Tommy Hayes also talked about the viral images. He said he was glad that people were not shrugging it off because raising awareness about just how dangerous these animals are could save lives.
