Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[davo]

Someone posted this story on a fish forum, and im sure some people will have read this before, but for you here it is again, and for the people it is new to:

In 1997, on a balmy still September night in the tranquil Australian bushland of the Northern Territories Tomkinson River (near the township of Maningrida), a gorgeous 16-year-old girl named Annie is alerted to the dull mechanical thud of a vehicle heading her way. Feeling nervous and a little insecure, Annie quietly slips into her home and listens.

The noise of the oncoming vehicle is piercing and threatening in her normally quiet peaceful harmonious Aussie bush home. It keeps coming louder and louder, closer and closer. She waits and listens anxiously. Her nerves and adrenaline heighten to a point where she cant take it any longer. She has to look. As she takes a peek, a bright spot light temporarily blinds her. Completely confused and dazed shes not sure what to do. Before she can react, a searing pain strikes her in the neck as two long sharp barbs of steel penetrate deep into her flesh. She reels in pain back into the security and familiarity of her home. Tearing at the barbs deep in her neck, she feels the strain of a cord running from the barbs to the vehicle and male voices of excitement.

Four desperate adult men pull at the cord as they shout, "We got her. We got her. Hang on to her. Keep the strain on!" They tug on the cord knowingly. Those men know she cant get the barbs out and its just a matter of wearing her down and dragging her to them. Struggling and resisting with all her might, the poor helpless girl is dragged to what she fears is certain torture and death. Exhausted, breathless, totally blinded by a spotlight thats right in her eyes, she is so weak she can hardly move, so starved for energy and air shes virtually frozen in fear and pain. Being dragged by the neck from her home is so traumatic; she doesnt feel the noose go around her head.

Exhilarated by the hunt, revelling in the thrill of the chase and amused by the fight of their prey, totally oblivious to her pain and fear and without remorse, the men mercilessly pull her into the vehicle. They gaffer tape her legs together; tie her arms together behind her back; tape her eyes shut and have her mouth gagged. Very, very happy with their prey, they head for their hideout. The most beautiful of girls is bound so tight that she goes from numb to excruciating pain, yet unable to utter a sound. Almost totally incoherent from cramps and searing pain, she hears the men shout, "Theres another one. Lets get her!" Whack they drive in the barbs and reel another in. Shes even younger and barely an adolescent, easily manhandled, bound and thrown in the vehicle.

'Imagine poor little Annie's nightmare and torment as she lies in pain and fear when they pull up.' The men manhandle her to a dusty old shed; throw her on the ground and mill around smoking and laughing for what seems like hours. Then she hears it! Sssskkk a rifle is loaded and cocked. Annie feels the cold steel of the barrel touching her head. "No not there, you have to shoot them here one man exclaims." "Here?" the other man questions. "Yeah. Thats it, now angle it up towards her brain." "Yeah, thats it" he directs. BOOM! Her torture and torment is finally over but while shes still twitching, they skin her.

No one mourned the death of Annie. No one will shed a tear at her passing or even remember her. No one cares that Annie died so horrifically because Annie was a crocodile.

this was written by Steve Irwin, one of my heros.

[Jan O]

OMG I shed tears reading that ,I really did. What a horrific and poignant story told from an innocent animals side. I do not understand the "joy" that hunting and killing can bring to anyone. Thanks for putting this post up even if its very upsetting it needs to be told.
Love Jan

[Stuart]

Very moving mate.
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[Thomas Shanta]

I can imagine the big mans voice reading that out.

[callmechook]

Yeah me to and the tears in the same voice. I guessed it was a croc early on but it does make you think about their side of it rather than ours. I remember seeing him breaking his heart over one of his animals that died and it moved me immmensely. Lets hope his legacy continues and that crocs all over the world benefit from the love Steve had for every single one of them xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx