Spyderco Forums

I read about human deaths by salt water crocodiles in places like Australia and Indonesia and other locations around the world. To my horror I read that salt water crocs are a protected species in places such as Australia. Does this mean a person cannot legally defend themselves from one if attacked, or, not?

In one situation, a woman was feeding them and it ate her:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/10 ... Deasy-Tuwo

And here is my question: If a person had a good solid lockblade H1 Stainless steel bladed knife, or, a fixed blade H1 stainless steel bladed knife, would they be able to fend off this monster and succesfully slay it, or, would it be alot more difficult than that?

Would rust-proof H1 stand up to the strain?

I say one thing that should be done is to make it so any laws protecting these beasts have a clear and present provision in them that clearly say a human being who is threatened by such a monster "water dragon beast" can slay it without any penalty.

Here is the text of the Australian law for the Northern Territory:

https://nt.gov.au/environment/animals/c ... crocodiles

I strongly believe every Australian, New Zealander, and other people around the world should carry H1 stainless steel knives whenever they venture out of doors, especially into wilderness areas that contain dangerous crocodilians. What do you all say to that?

If you don't believe they are that dangerous read this:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... on-islands

Anything is possible but I feel like you need the right mentality and you have to be carrying said gear for it to work. I'm sure you could build an H1 knife to withstand whatever it needs to but can you physically do what needs to be done? The Warrior was a very stout fixed blade. I also feel like the steel doesn't really matter. I'm sure a lot of people in Indonesia won't be buying a "crocodile defense" blade because it's a new steel to them. They probably have machetes and other carbon steel objects they've used for centuries. I'd also prefer a firearm but to each their own. We have gators around here and i don't think I've heard of people slaying them with knives. Most use rifles or handguns. Of course Australia has some pretty tight gun laws and I have no idea what gun laws Indonesia has.

You can hunt animals with spears too but I'd probably pass on that if I didn't have a firearm as a back up.

Also to add context

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), aka ‘salties’ or estuarine crocodiles, are enormous creatures and the world’s largest living reptiles. The average male is 5m in length and weighs around 500kg, while females are significantly smaller, with the average female saltwater crocodile measuring a little under 3m in length and weighing less than 100kg.


They typically feed on fish, mammals and birds, preferring to hunt at night. Even small crocodiles are able to take relatively large prey, and nothing really stands a chance against a large male saltwater crocodile, which is capable of killing and eating pretty much anything that comes into its territory, including sharks and humans.

Source linked below.
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal ... crocodile/

I doubt it.

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Fri May 17, 2019 1:50 am

I strongly believe every Australian, New Zealander, and other people around the world should carry H1 stainless steel knives whenever they venture out of doors, especially into wilderness areas that contain dangerous crocodilians. What do you all say to that?

Sound advice SEF! :cool:

This is particularly true for Kiwis and anyone considering travelling there. Even though they don’t have crocodiles they do have man eating sheep ... everywhere. :eek:

The hide of a croc is too tough, being armored as it is. If you could stag it in the eyes, somehow, it would release you. That has been done with gators. But, killing it like Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan character did is not really hopeful. The best bet is to stay away from places where they live. Alternatively, take an Aussie with you as bait to distract them.

If you somehow managed to stab one right in the brain and penetrate, you might have a chance but I think especially in water you would be absolutely FUBAR up against a croc that was determined to eat you, especially if he gets any part of you in his mouth.

Well, he might stop to admire it.

I say no, even if you get him in that very small sweet spot on the head and hit the brain...I bet, being as close to it as you'd have to be you would still end up missing a limb or something.

You're talking about a predator that weighs over a thousand pounds. And eats sharks. I don't think any knife is going to stop it. Unless it's a light saber.

Once the death roll starts you are doomed!

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 9:47 am

You're talking about a predator that weighs over a thousand pounds. And eats sharks. I don't think any knife is going to stop it. Unless it's a light saber.

Lol, exactly Tom.
Just pure devastating power. You wouldnt knew what hit ya.
Heck, even if you saw it coming, just the pure force alone, you couldn't do anything I would imagine. Just too much brute power to even comprehend.

bearfacedkiller wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 9:53 am

Once the death roll starts you are doomed!

BFK is spot on. And American alligators too for that matter. Salt Water Crocodiles are nothing to mess with. I personally would only rely on a large caliber, high powered rifle ( .300 Win or bigger) or a shotgun 10 or 12 gauge using OO buck shot and heavy magnum load shells. That is a creature that you would have no margin for error. Most people don't even realize how much more dangerous that Saltys are compared to the American Alligator. They are powerful beyond belief. Just look at how much manpower it took for Steve Irwin and his crew just to move juvenile Saltys ( one at a time even) to new enclosures at their zoo when he was still on the air.
I talked to a guy once that was a true herpetologist for the state of Missouri and he handled all kinds of hot snakes ( very venomous) in his regular job along with other zoo creatures. And he told me that he feared the Crocodillian species far more than any snake including cobras and black mambas. Hey if a pro is seriously afraid of them then that is good enough for me to stay clear of them.

Yeah, your chances of actually killing an attacking salt water croc with a knife is extremely small. Their sheer size, explosiveness, and power would be overwhelming. IIRC, crocodiles have the strongest bite force in the animal kingdom. The croc is not going to just lay still for you to target its brain, belly, or wherever. It's going to be overpowering chaos. Most people will lose fine motor skills in life-or-death fights with other humans and dogs, let alone an attacking salt water croc, which can regularly take down animals that are much bigger, stronger and faster than any human.

Even if by some miracle you somehow emerged victorious with a knife against an attacking salt water croc, you would either die too, or at best end up badly disfigured.

Jim

Thank you all, wow, these are some great answers you gave.

Would you say that the bottom line issue with human beings is that we humans have our main strength in our brain power and the ability to adapt to the enviroment, and, create tools such as knives, guns, and steel, and that is our main survival power over these creatures?

James, I brought up this type of discussion with a "futurist" who studies all sorts of technology and here was his speculation: I would like your view on it: He agreed about the human mind being man's greatest strength. He told me his opinion is that once technology advances to the point where man can routinely and cheaply and easilly re-engineer the natural world to his liking, then we can have the "best of both worlds": People can have the increased brain power and capacity, and, the physical prowess of the animal kingdom. He predicts human beings will eventually become like a combination of the being "Q" on Star Trek (a powerful being who can directly control energy and matter with his mind), and Wolverine from "X Men".

Ofcourse, as you know very well, for "every measure there is a counter measure" and unless the core nature of man were to be changed, then there would be some trade off or cost. Right?

bearfacedkiller wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 9:53 am

Once the death roll starts you are doomed!

Spot on Killer! :)

(I looked for that particular gif and couldn’t find it.)

Just bring a pet Hippo with you...the only animal that the crocodiles fear! They live together in Africa and even the big 2000 lb male crocs usually won't bother the wild tempered, Dangerous Hippo.

James

https://youtu.be/vF9ZdoeY4Xc

Extra330SC wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 5:34 pm

Just bring a pet Hippo with you...the only animal that the crocodiles fear! They live together in Africa and even the big 2000 lb male crocs usually won't bother the wild tempered, Dangerous Hippo.

That would be one animal that I would actually fear more than a croc. I had a friend who used to ferry airplanes over to about 4 different countries in Africa. He was once chased away from a pool that he got close to by a big male hippo and he barely escaped with his life. He said he couldn't believe how fast those big monsters can run ( close to 30mph). He barely made it to one of their vehicles and sped out of there. He said that male hippo had a mouth about the size of Volkswagen :eek: .. I about cracked up when he told me that one.

But he said the fear that monster hippo instilled in him was far worse than anything else he ever encountered. I learned some time ago that hippos kill far more people per year than crocs do.

Jaguars have recently been observed deliberately hunting caiman crocodile and in water no less.