13:48
You've
heard of snakes on a plane, but what about a crocodile? It sounds like
the sequel to a ridiculous Hollywood movie, but this really did happen: A
crocodile escaped from its cage on a Qantas flight and freely roamed
the plane's cargo hold for the duration of the flight, according to the
Telegraph.
Yikes! And you thought that flying was scary because of the turbulence.
[OK, OK, We Know They're Not Crocodiles, but Watch Awesome Alligator Videos Now!]
The croc was being transferred from Brisbane to Melbourne when the breakout occurred.
The
good news is that the reptile never got out of the cargo hold, so the
plane's human passengers were never in any danger. In fact, the animal's
escape wasn't discovered until unsuspecting baggage handlers found it
lurking amongst the suitcases after the flight had already touched down.
Luckily, all of the handlers' limbs and digits remained attached as
well.
Qantas still doesn't know how the croc escaped, but it has launched an
investigation.
“An
incident involving a live animal in the cargo hold of a Qantas aircraft
is being investigated,” airline spokeswoman Lauren Blank said in a
statement. “The animal was quickly and safely secured when the aircraft
arrived in Melbourne.
The
investigation is focusing on whether it had been loaded appropriately
on delivery to Australian Air Express.”
Another bit of good news is that the crocodile was not a large one, only
measuring to about 60 centimeters in length. Still, a finger could fit
in that mouth.
Ironically,
Qantas frequently lays claim to being "the world's safest airline."
That slogan may now need to come with a caveat: so long as you stay out
of the cargo hold.
By Bryan Nelson
