A crocodile broke free from its cage on a recent Qantas flight between Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia, roaming the plane’s cargo hold during the flight.
Unsuspecting baggage handlers discovered the roaming reptile when they unloaded baggage from the plane after landing, reports The Australian .
A Qantas spokesman assured that the fierce reptile was caught without incident and returned safely to its cage. The crocodile, which was a relatively small specimen measuring 60 centimeters in length (about two feet), was being transported on the Qantas flight as freight by the cargo firm Australian Air Express.
The incident is strangely reminiscent of Samuel L. Jackson’s Snakes On A Plane , during which several venomous snakes invade a plane, killing many of its passengers.
Thankfully in this case, the lone crocodile couldn’t find its way up from the cargo hold to the passenger compartment (though maybe this strange incident will still be good fodder for another “scary” plane flick?)
The Qantas spokesman said in a statement about the incident that:
“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.”
NineMSN notes that the investigation is also looking into how exactly the crocodile could have escaped from its cage last Monday, including whether the animal was in the correct container, and if the container was properly secured during flight.
While most of the normal animal cargo on planes includes cats and dogs, it kind of makes you wonder if there will be a crocodile, snake, or other exotic creature in the cargo hold on your next flight.
