Crocodile Under Bed: Man Slept in Danger All Night, Staff Dragged 8-Foot Beast by Its Tail (PHOTOS)
A crocodile under the bed managed to stay hidden for eight hours in a Zimbabwe lodge, and even though a man slept on the low-lying bed the entire night, he was surprised he didn't notice it. Guy Whitall, who is the director of the Humani lodge, could have easily lost a limb or worse to the 8-foot-long, 330-pound crocodile.
The crocodile was found under the bed not by 40-year-old Whitall, who says he slept peacefully the entire night, but by a maid. Her screams alerted the director and staff to the room, where they found the Nile crocodile lying in wait- most likely the cold-blooded creature was keeping warm, says Whitall.
"The really disconcerting thing about the whole episode is the fact that I was sitting on the edge of the bed that morning, barefoot and just centimeters away from the croc," Whitall recalled to The Daily Star. "Crocodiles are experts at hiding, that's why they have survived on Earth for so long and why they are the ultimate killers in water."
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Whitall rounded up some co-workers to catch the beast. While most hotel staff in other places would immediately call animal control, the workers at the family-owned Humani lodge decided to take on the crocodile themselves.
"Catching and securing a croc of any size on land though is a fairly straightforward affair and we are experienced in that," the director said.
To see photos of the crocodile's capture, click here.
Pictures were taken while the staff dragged the animal from under the bed by its tail and outside. After that, they roped off its mouth to avoid being bitten and tied a bag over its head.
"The most important thing is to get its snout roped and secured and then it's just a matter of restraining it and covering its eyes, to calm it down," said Whitall.
Humani staff released the crocodile at the Chigwidi dam.
"I just remember thinking "goodness gracious, that's one for the books," he said. "I'm pretty sure everyone in Humani checks under their bed before going to sleep now anyway."
