Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Australia has an international reputation for hosting all sorts of danger in the outback or, occassionally, in its coastal waters. A little known fact, however, is that such danger apparently exists everywhere. Case-in-point: a poor unsuspecting man was bitten by a brown snake (one of the world's more venomous varieties) in downtown Melbourne in an alley behind a department store. You can't make this stuff up. . .

Crocs Back in the Spotlight

Australia's grumpiest animal icon is back in the media...

First, stories are pouring in from Magnetic Island off the coast of Townsville in Queensland, where a 2.5 metre croc has taken up residence and in so doing has single-handedly destroyed the island's economy. As stated by one dive operator: "Sharks we can handle, but you just don't know what one of these things might do." Well, I guess that settles the question of which species is more feared.

Meanwhile, Time magazine has this story about the more humane treatment that crocs receive these days from humans. After the recent disappearance of a fisherman in Queensland, wildlife officials rounded up the usual croc suspects. But instead of dispatching the animals, they were given x-rays and endoscopies to check for any remnant human remains. The gentle treatment is apparently due to the perception by some officials that crocs over 13 feet are "icons".