Why did the crocodile cross the road? In this instance, to get to the other side. Machiel witnessed the hefty fellow cross a sand road quite confidently, paying no attention to his vehicle.
Watch The Sighting:
The croc was on a mission and had places to go, with the carcass of its newly-caught prey still in its mouth.
Something Is Spotted In The Long Grass
For Machial, the incredible sighting started when he spied a dark shadow in the long grass, on the driver’s side of the road. It was moving towards the road, and he possibly sensed it was something big and started filming.
The shadowy figure moved closer to the sand road, and it soon became evident that it was a crocodile! This must have surprised Machial, since the croc was carrying something in its mouth.
It was carrying a carcass, and it appeared it had recently made a kill.
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Its presence out of the water was completely unexpected, as crocodiles are known to be aquatic animals. However, unknown to many, crocs can stay out of the water for long periods.
Environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature, will determine how long they choose to be out of the water. They quickly overheat if it is too hot, and the moisture from the water protects them from dehydration.
Crocodile Emerges Out Of The Thicket
With a fresh carcass in the crocodile’s mouth, it was evident that it had come onto land to hunt.
It moved with determination across the road, perhaps heading for a nearby body of water.
Crocodiles are called opportunistic predators because they are capable of taking almost any animal within their range.
One can only imagine the surprise this crocodile’s prey experienced when it encountered a croc on dry land away from the water.
Nile crocodiles have powerful bites, with a bite force of up to 22,000 Newtons. This is higher than any other animal.
It is also not unusual for them to leave the riverbanks to find prey on land.
An adult Nile crocodile is not something anyone wants to come across in the bushveld.
It can weigh from 225 to 750 kilograms, and is usually between 3.5 and 5 metres in length, but some individuals of 6 metres in length have been reported.
Crocodiles have a reputation for being quite aggressive and have even been known to attack livestock and people on land, usually near the water’s edge.
Crocodile Disappears From View
The crocodile soon made it to the other side of the road. It soon disappeared into the long grass, head-first. Its spiny tail was the last thing Machial saw before it disappeared completely from view.
In case no one believed a real-life crocodile had crossed the road, Machial had the video clip to prove it.
The sighting is just another reason to expect the unexpected when out on a game drive.