CROC AND AWE
You’ve got the nerve of a crocodile wrangler if you can spot the deadly beast lurking in this swamp before it lunges
YOU could have the nerve of a crocodile wrangler if you can spot the deadly beast lurking in the swamp.
The predator managed to stay perfectly still while blending in among the greenery floating on top of the water in the chilling video.
3
Brit teacher Zane Powles MBE, had headed on a walk along a river in Panama when he encountered the crafty croc.
He was keeping an eye out for wildlife during his wander through the wilderness and stopped at a swamp to take a closer look.
Zane, who has moved to the South American country from Grimsby to teach for two years, then whipped out his phone to capture the cunning reptile on camera.
In the clip, the murky water appears to be empty apart from the remnants of leaves and trees that have tumbled in.
READ MORE ON CROCODILES
But if you're sharp enough, your eyes may detect a glimpse of the deadly crocodile peeking out - hopefully before it lunges.
Zane then zooms in on the water, to reveal the predator incredibly lurking just below the surface - and keeping one watchful eye on him.
He says: "Thought I'd stop and look at the water, see the wildlife. And then... if you look really closely.
"It's almost waiting. Holy s***! Let's go and look."
Most read in The Sun
But as the teacher bravely bounds towards the croc, he slips on the muddy riverbank and nearly slides straight into its jaws.
Thankfully, the ruckus spooked the beast and it scurried away after splashing around defensively in the water.
Zane said in a social media post: "I thought today was my last day on planet earth.
"I thought, for a minute, I was a cross between David Attenborough and Steve Irwin.
"The slip down the bank happened at the worst time, I genuinely thought my time was up."
The Brit said his dangerously close encounter left him in stitches after the shock wore off.
He added: "For a split second I thought 'this is it'. Then I laughed when it wasn’t.
"Afterwards all I could do was laugh. The problem with it is that I won’t learn and next time I’ll do the same again."
His pals were quick to discourage any further run-ins with wild animals, reminding him the croc could easily triumph.
One said: "Very lucky man. Very dangerous situation."
Another wrote: "I knew you loved nature, but blimey!"
Zane received an MBE in October 2020 after helping families and delivering school meals on foot to children during lockdown.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
He dished out around 15,000 meals and walked over 900 miles during his stint as assistant head at Western Primary School.
The father-of-three said receiving the MBE from Princess Anne was an "awesome" honour, adding: "I'm unbelievably proud, what a day."
3
3
Topics