Now That's A Nasty Croc!

Ah, I can hear Steve Irwin now. . .

BRUTUS, the giant Aussie three-legged croc whose tour boat antics were flashed around the world this week, is in danger of losing his weekly meal.

Boat tours encouraging giant beasts like Brutus to leap from the water using meat bait are raising the risks of savage attacks on tourists, a reptile expert says.

A photograph of the Northern Territory's newest celebrity crocodile, Brutus a 5.5m three-legged beast who lost a limb in a shark attack, set tongues wagging this week.

NT News photographer Katrina Bridgeford snapped the amazing picture of the croc as it lunged for its favourite snack, buffalo meat.

Former New South Wales croc handler Craig Adams said the Territory's jumping croc cruises were teaching the reptiles to lose their fear of humans.

"We're training them to come up and get their food. The danger is that the crocs become comfortable around boats," he said.

At first I believed the photograph to be Photoshopped. But, after having seen the accompanying video, I know it's not a fake. This is an incredible picture, but Brutus is allegedly not the largest beast in the area. There is said to be an even larger "Saltie" in the region -- two feet longer.

BZ