Dog survives close encounter with lurking crocodile on beach, Australia video shows

While hovering over a beach in Australia, a drone captured footage of a dog’s close scrape with a crocodile lurking just offshore.

The incident, which took place at Seisia Wharf in Queensland, was recorded by drone photographer Jerry Ahmat and uploaded online March 3.

In the video, a crocodile can be seen floating in the shallow surf, while an unleashed dog wanders along the beach, just several feet away.

For a few seconds, the crocodile appears to follow the dog, before it eventually walks further inland — seemingly unaware of its close encounter with the large reptile.

“My partner and I tried to chase [the dog] away from the water,” Ahmat told Yahoo News Australia.

The dog was “miraculously” not harmed, according to 9 News Gold Coast, a local news outlet.

While this particular dog escaped without a scratch, others in the area aren’t always so lucky, Ahmat told Yahoo, noting that similar incidents happen “every day.”

In April, a crocodile was recorded snatching a dog from a beach in Queensland before dragging it underwater, according to the outlet.

And in 2012, another crocodile was caught in the country’s Northern Territory after killing and eating as many as nine pet dogs, according to NDTV.

Crocodiles are commonly found along the coast of Queensland, a large state spanning the continent’s northeast, according to the Queensland government.

“No waterway in [the area] can ever be considered crocodile free,” the government’s website states.

Because of this, people with pets — dogs in particular — are advised to always keep them on leashes and far from the water.

This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Dog survives close encounter with lurking crocodile on beach, Australia video shows."