Are Crocodiles In Indonesia Pretending To Drown To Coax People Into The Water?
After a video of a crocodile swimming in a strange manner went viral on social media, people became concerned that the reptiles were pretending to drown in order to lure humans into the water, where they could launch their attacks. However, experts have discounted this theory and said that it spreads misinformation.
The crocodile in question was swimming in the Barito River in Borneo, Indonesia. It was waving its front limbs in the air while lying on its back in the water, giving the impression that it was drowning and needed to be rescued.
Crocodiles are formidable creatures. Their attacks on land are vicious enough, so the idea of them having the ability to draw humans in to their demise is incredibly scary.
Every year, hundreds of crocodile attacks occur, with saltwater crocodiles being the most dangerous. It is unclear what kind of crocodile was in the video.
Around 100 people are killed by saltwater crocodiles in Indonesia annually. The high number of deaths is due to a dependency on water.
“In some areas, people have to do everything in the water—they have to bathe, they have to collect water for cooking, they have to wash their clothes, they have to fish. So the attack per capita is just very, very high for that reason,” said Brandon Sideleau, a researcher of human and crocodile conflict at Charles Darwin University in Australia.
It is true that crocodiles are very clever when it comes to capturing prey. For example, they have been observed placing sticks on their heads to attract birds looking for materials to build their nests, particularly in regions like Louisiana and India.
While crocodiles are known for their intelligence and sophisticated hunting methods, they are not advanced enough to be able to intentionally lure humans into the water. There is no way for them to actually learn such a strategy.
According to Sideleau, the crocodile may have had prey in its mouth, causing it to exhibit unusual behavior. It is also a possibility that the crocodile caught its tail on something, which prevented it from swimming properly.
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“I do not believe this crocodile was trying to lure humans into the water. Such behavior would be unprecedented. These animals are inherently stealthy and don’t need to resort to such extremes to access prey,” said Gregory Erickson, a professor in the Biological Science Department at Florida State University.
“I have seen both alligators and crocodiles show the same posture when struggling with prey. It is also possible that the semicircular canals—structures in the inner ear that are used to sense one’s orientation in three-dimensional space—in this particular individual were compromised.”
Sideleau also expressed concern that the misinformation online could negatively impact how crocodile populations are managed and even endanger humans.
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