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Nitro you forgot to mention the local wildlife around Cairns mate.

Man saves dog from croc
By Lloyd Jones
10feb04

WHEN Ted Von Nida saw a crocodile chomping his howling dog in its jaws he knew he had to act fast.

The seaplane pilot was about to take his three dogs for a run on Sunday afternoon when the croc struck outside his Trinity Inlet home near Cairns.
Mr Von Nida said he had just turned his car around when he noticed something was wrong with the animals, which were standing next to a shallow culvert.

He says two of the dogs were frozen to the spot, looking first into the drain then back at him.

"I got straight out of my car and raced to the bank and saw my dog Buffy in trouble.

"He was trying to climb, like he was trying to get up a flight of stairs, and the croc had him and was just shaking him.

"It was sickening, he was being flung from side to side. My dog was howling... I just knew I had to get to him pretty quick," Mr Von Nida said.

When he moved within a few metres of the crocodile, it released the dog and charged, he said.

"The croc saw me and heard my voice and thought here's a bigger meal."

Mr Von Nida estimated the crocodile to be about 2.3 metres long.

"It was a full-blown charge and there was a bow wave off his head."

As the crocodile circled Mr Von Nida retreated to find his dog, which suffered several long cuts to its leg.

"(Since the attack) I've been spoiling him and just giving him steak and sleep," Mr Von Nida said.

He was surprised the crocodile was in the shallow drain, which is only two kilometres by water from downtown Cairns.

Wildlife officers yesterday set traps to catch the crocodile which may have made a home in a nearby inlet.

It's not the first time an animal has been grabbed by a crocodile in the inlet.

Four years ago, Mr Von Nida said Buffy's mother had a similar close call when a croc grabbed her by the snout as she was swimming.

"I had an oar and slapped the surface of the water with it (which) must have scared it off."

Mr Von Nida said he would always do all he could to save his dogs, which he loved for their unconditional friendship.

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Get off the chair away from the desk and get out in the bush and enjoy life.

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