CAIRNS POST (Australia) 19 April 08 Pet escapes croc's jaws (Margo Zlotkowski)
A woman last night told how her dog escaped the jaws of a crocodile at a popular Cairns beach, sparking fears of another attack.
Maree Callaway was walking her ridgeback-cross Max at Clifton Beach about 5.30pm yesterday when the 30kg dog was grabbed by the 2m croc while he drank from a freshwater pool.
"I heard this enormous splash … there was a flurry of water and activity and then the dog came flying out and he was bleeding," Ms Callaway said.
"It was just all water and me screaming.
"I threw a stick in and the croc surfaced and looked at me. It was only about a metre off the shore."
The Environmental Protection Agency last night sent a team of officers to the scene to try to find and remove the crocodile.
Ms Callaway said her biggest fear was that the croc would attack again.
The area is popular among families and people walking their dogs.
"I'm just really frightened now. This is beyond a joke," said Ms Callaway, who had to take Max to the vet last night to get two deep puncture wounds under his left front leg and on his stomach stapled up.
"Someone is going to be killed or someone's pet … and it was nearly ours.
"There's always kids there throwing little stones and sticks into the water, and lots of tourists go down there, and there isn't even a sign warning anyone."
She said the EPA was told about the croc about two months ago when it was seen eating a wallaby in the same area, out the front of the new Argentea housing estate between Clifton Beach and Palm Cove.
Another siting was reported about five weeks ago after Ms Callaway and several other early morning dog-walkers saw the croc coing out of the sea about 6am, presumedly to walk across to the same freshwater pool.
But after seeing the group gathered on the sand it headed back into the sea, she said.
Ms Callaway last night said Max had been pretty shaken up immediately after his ordeal but "seems to have got over it now".
"It's me that needs a stiff drink," she said.
"I certainly won't be back in a hurry but I don’t know about Max. He's a big dog but he's not very bright."
The EPA's state head of wildlife Clive Cook last night said he had not heard any reports of a croc in that area but would send a team there last night to look for it.
"It will be relatively easy to catch if it's in a billabong rather than in the open sea," Mr Cook said.
Pet escapes croc's jaws