Crocodiles don't like drones!
Everyone knows that crocodiles are cranky and aggressive creatures that do not like to be bothered. It doesn't take much to agitate one into taking a bite out of you if you're not careful. It's why most people steer well clear of these toothy, prehistoric predators.
So, we're not too surprised to learn that a drone is on the short list of things that agitate them. This short video, taken over a crocodile park, shows the operator flying out close to the surface of the murky waters.
The large reptiles do not take to the new intruder kindly. In an amazing show of their underwater abilities, several of the crocs propel themselves far out of the water as they attempt to snatch the drone out of the sky!
We're not sure if the animal's response to this drone was a feeding behavior or a defensive one. It sure was fun to see in action though. It's not every day we get a good look straight down the gullet of a large crocodile without ending up on the lunch menu.
The amateur drone operator in me thinks this footage is awesome, at the same time it makes me somewhat nervous every time I fly over water. However, if that water is infested with large, toothy predators with an attitude, I can imagine the stress levels of the pilot being a bit higher than normal! When he got that machine down close to the surface, they launched themselves out of the water like a wayward torpedo. We never knew a croc could get that much hangtime jumping out of the water.
This shows that the animals are much faster and much more dangerous in the water than they are on land. We do not recommend jumping into waters that look like that in crocodile country. Speaking of which, in the other shots showing the crocodiles surfacing, note how they aren't visible until they get closer to the surface.
If you ever find yourself in crocodile country or even in places where alligators are present, a little common sense goes a long way. Stay way from the water edges and avoid murky waters that can hide the presence of these predators and you should be fine.
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For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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