SYDNEY, Australia -- A 14.5-foot crocodile mauled the chain saw that a worker was using to clear debris left by a tropical storm that lashed northern Australia.
The croc and worker were uninjured, but the saw's woodcutting days are over.
On Friday, Freddy Buckland was cutting up a tree that fell against a crocodile enclosure at the Corroboree Park Tavern, 50 miles east of the northern port city of Darwin, when the crocodile, called Brutus, apparently took exception to the chain saw's noise and attacked.
"As he was trimming up the tree on the outside the croc jumped out of the water and sped along the tree about 18, 20 feet and actually grabbed the chain saw out of his hands," said Peter Shappert, the tavern's owner.
"It must have been the noise ... I don't think he was actually trying to grab Freddy, but I'm not sure. He had a fair go at him ... I think he just grabbed the first thing he could and it happened to be the chain saw," Shappert added.
Neither Buckland nor Brutus were injured.
The saltwater crocodile appeared to like the snack.
"He chewed on the chain saw for about an hour-and-a-half, then we finally got it out," Shappert said, adding that the saw was destroyed.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.