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Tag: wilderness

  • Snake Eating Croc: Ultimate Battle

    Watching a snake chomp down on a crocodile is not something one sees everyday. Australian resident Tiffany Corlis and other onlookers witnessed a five-hour long struggle between a water python and a three-foot crocodile inside Lake Moondarra. The snake ultimately swallowed the crocodile, but not before a long battle ensued.

    According to Corlis the whole ordeal was an amazing display of the brutality that often occurs in nature. “(The crocodile) was fighting at the start, it was trying to keep its head out of water and survive, but as the morning progressed you could tell both of them were getting a little weaker as the struggle was going on, finally the croc sort of gave in.” Corlis said before adding, “It was just unbelievable, we were sort of thinking the snake had bitten off a little more than it could chew, pardon the pun, but it did actually eat the crocodile. You could see the crocodile in the snake’s belly which I think was probably the more remarkable thing. You could actually see its legs and see its scales and everything, it was just amazing.”

    The battle between snake and crocodile may seem like an epic battle between two of nature’s most notorious beasts; however, the actual size may not be quite so impressive. Terry Phillip, who is the curator of reptiles for Reptile Gardens located in Rapid City, South Dakota, recently spoke with National Geographic. According to Phillip, “These animals aren’t giants. That snake is likely about 15 or 20 pounds [7 to 9 kilograms], and the croc might be 5 to 7 pounds [2 to 3 kilograms], probably three feet [one meter] long. And for these species, native to that part of Australia, this is a very natural event. While that looks like a really big meal, it’s a pretty common one for that type of snake.”

    Either way, it was a bad day to be a croc.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Utah Booby Traps Send Two Men to Jail

    Utah booby traps kind of sounds like the name of a really unpopular small town indie rock band, though it’s actually something a bit more sinister.

    The next time you decide to take a leisurely stroll with your family and friends through the Utah wilderness, you might want to keep a sharp eye out for booby traps. That’s right — booby traps, devices that were seemingly constructed while watching “The Goonies” and various Road Runner cartoons back-to-back for days on end.

    All kidding aside, the discovery of the traps is actually pretty serious business. They were spotted by U.S. Forest Service Officer James Schoeffler, a man whose job is keep a close eye out for peculiar situations such as this. Schoeffler spent 12 years dismantling bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan for the military, so he’s prepared to handle these sort of problems. However, I’m sure he never dreamed of encountering anything this bizarre while patrolling the Utah wilderness.

    Upon receiving an anonymous tip, Schoeffler took a trip to a popular canyon trailer in Provo, an area that’s frequented by law-abiding citizens and troublemakers alike. After scouting around for a bit, the seasoned officer discovered a series of potentially deadly traps outside of a well-known, heavily-trafficked makeshift fort.

    The traps, which were constructed using high-quality, heavy duty materials, included a spiked boulder attached to a trip wire and a pit full of extremely sharp spikes. You know, typical low-budget late-night movie kind of stuff. This discovery was particularly distressing to authorities since anyone could have fallen prey to the traps, particularly individuals visiting the area at night.

    “When you look at those things, you just get chills down your spine,” the Utah County sheriff’s sergeant explained to the Los Angeles Times.

    The investigation soon led authorities to a pair of would-be hunters, who claim that the traps were meant for wildlife, including “wild boards and bunnies”. Problem is, Utah isn’t known for its wild boars. Since the Acme-flavored booby traps were discovered before anyone was harmed, the men can only be charged with reckless endangerment, which is only a misdemeanor.

  • California Man Attacked by a Lion, Saved By a Bear

    In one of those stories that’s too bizarre to be made up, a man from Paradise, California was attacked by a mountain lion, only to be saved by a bear.

    Robert Biggs, 69, was hiking around Whiskey Flats in California when he came across a mother bear and her two cubs, about forty feet from where he was standing. He watched the bears for a few minutes before walking back up the trail.

    As he turned to leave, a mountain lion lept from cover, grabbing him by his backpack with all fours.

    “They usually grab hold of your head with all four paws, but my backpack was up above my head and (the mountain lion) grabbed it instead,” Biggs said. “It must have been stalking the little bear, but it was on me in seconds.”

    Biggs fought with the mountain lion, striking it with a rock pick several times. The cat wailed but would not let go.

    Before he knew it, the mother bear joined in the fray, grabbing the mountain lion and tearing it to the ground. The bear and the mountain lion scuffled for a few moments before the cat ran away. Apparently, feeling his work was done, the bear went on her merry way as well.

    Biggs was left in astonishment, with only a few scratches and bruises for his trouble.

    Biggs had been hiking on that particular trail several times. He claims to have had encounters with the mother and baby bears before, even coming in contact with one of the cubs. On one occasion, the cub put its paw in the air and Biggs gave it a high-five, touching his hand to the bears. He is certain these were the same bears.

    Is this simply a case of a mother bear protecting her territory? If so, why didn’t it turn and attack Biggs? I think the man was lucky to have familiarized himself with the bears before hand. The mother obviously didn’t see him as a threat.