Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
Melissa Buttigieg
Yahoo7 News 25 November 2018
An Adelaide man said he feared for his family’s life after finding what he thought was an alligator in his backyard, and made a desperate call to a reptile catcher to come to the rescue.
Sharing a picture to social media of the reptile that apparently menaced the family, Snake Catchers Adelaide recounted the phone conversation.
“I have an alligator in my backyard,” the man told the reptile hunter."
Despite the expert assuring the man he was likely mistaken, the Malaysian expat was adamant his life was in danger.
“No no no it’s an alligator and I’m very afraid for my family,” he apparently told the catcher on the phone."
When the expert arrived at the man’s Adelaide home, they found the menacing reptile was a harmless lizard.
An Adelaide man said he feared for his family’s life after finding what he thought was an alligator in his backyard, and made a desperate call to a reptile catcher to come to the rescue. Source: Snake Catchers Adelaide / Facebook
They said the family was still afraid of the creature even after they were reassured it was definitely not an alligator.
“They wouldn’t have a bar of it,” the catcher wrote on Facebook, sharing a picture of the critter.
Admitting the gaffe was a “bit hard to believe”, the catcher defended the man saying the family had only arrived from Malaysia two weeks earlier, and not too familiar with our native animals.
“They are new to Australia I suggested they educate themselves on our wildlife,” they added.
While many have thought the mistaken identity was hilarious, some have defended the family’s overreaction.
“If they’ve been here two weeks I can understand their fear, people do tend to talk Australia up as THE most deadly place ever,” one wrote. “Poor buggers.”
Others were not so sympathetic.
“You can’t be serious. We don’t even have alligators in this country,” one person wrote.
The picture was shared to Facebook two years ago, however the mistake sparked renewed attention yesterday with a handful of people having a chuckle and commenting on the thread.
