Australia:
An Australian man who was bitten by a crocodile after climbing into its enclosure while drunk said on Wednesday that he had just wanted to pat the creature.
Michael Newman had been ejected from a pub called the Divers Tavern in the West Australian town of Broome on Monday night, before he broke into a zoo and tried to climb onto the back of a crocodile named Fatso.
Fatso is a saltwater crocodile which is one of the world's largest reptiles and can grow up to 7 metres (23 feet).
Police said Newman had been thrown out of the pub for being drunk.
After biting Newman, the crocodile let him go and the 36-year-old was able to walk back to the pub to seek help.
Speaking to reporters outside Broome Hospital on Wednesday, Newman said he had wanted to give Fatso a pat.
Broome Crocodile Park owner Malcolm Douglas said he couldn't understand why Newman wanted to climb into the enclosure.
He added that there were several circumstances that probably saved Newman from being killed by Fatso, including the cold weather and the location of the crocodile when Newman jumped into the cage.
Newman is a tourist from eastern Australia, Broome Police said.
Michael Newman had been ejected from a pub called the Divers Tavern in the West Australian town of Broome on Monday night, before he broke into a zoo and tried to climb onto the back of a crocodile named Fatso.
Fatso is a saltwater crocodile which is one of the world's largest reptiles and can grow up to 7 metres (23 feet).
Police said Newman had been thrown out of the pub for being drunk.
After biting Newman, the crocodile let him go and the 36-year-old was able to walk back to the pub to seek help.
Speaking to reporters outside Broome Hospital on Wednesday, Newman said he had wanted to give Fatso a pat.
Broome Crocodile Park owner Malcolm Douglas said he couldn't understand why Newman wanted to climb into the enclosure.
He added that there were several circumstances that probably saved Newman from being killed by Fatso, including the cold weather and the location of the crocodile when Newman jumped into the cage.
Newman is a tourist from eastern Australia, Broome Police said.
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