# Would you dangle your month old child over a hungry Crocodiles head? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807 "2004-01-05T14:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/21 "2004-01-06T06:07:12Z")
Besides, the pea-brained reptile had a mouthful of chicken. Ever seen an animal (or even a close relative) spit out a mouthful of chicken in order to go after something more than 10 feet away? My guess is that while Mr. Croc is choking it down you could pretty well flip him over & rub his belly. SI has been hand feeding these critters for a long time. While he insists that they are beautiful & intelligent creatures they all seem to behave very predictably when it comes to getting the chicken, “focus on the dangling meat & snatch it when the soft, pink, fangless, hornless…hey…” ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/22 "2004-01-06T11:28:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Isn’t there a big difference between allowing your children to take risks of their own volition, as part of their development, and deliberately exposing them to completely unnecessary risks without their consent (or before they are able to express consent)? \*\* I think he deems the exposure necceary. He said his father did the same thing. Would he be as comfertable around the crocks if his father did not do that? He seems to think so atleast. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/23 "2004-01-06T11:30:20Z")
oops that did not come out right. > [@](#): > > He seems to think so atleast. would be better said > [@](#): > > He seems to think he would not be nearly as comortable atleast ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/24 "2004-01-06T11:59:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by netscape 6 \* > \*\*I think he deems the exposure necceary. He said his father did the same thing. Would he be as comfertable around the crocks if his father did not do that? > > He seems to think so atleast. \*\* I hate making the comparison, but what if Michael Jackson had deemed it necessary to dangle his infant over the balcony? Would we be compelled to respect that? I think not - there’s a point after which it is right to overrule the opinions of the parent; the only question here is whether Irwin has overstepped that mark - in my opinion he did. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Irwin will end up as a crocodile’s lunch (or be fatally bitten by a venomous snake) at some point - despite his obvious skill and knowledge of the domain, he is relying on a modicum of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Antiquarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Antiquarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antiquarian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/25 "2004-01-06T14:46:58Z")
**Rick Said** - > [@](#): > > If you were a SANE trained and learned naturalist, no, you would not. Zoologists and animal keepers avoid contact with dangerous animals as much as they possibly can. In most zoos they no longer even enter the living space of large animals unless the animal is tranquilized. Very true, I believe **Jack Hannah** was on GMA the morning the story broke and tho he had much praise for SI and his training abilities and general naturalist aptitude…he did say he would never have stuck one o fhis daughters in with the croc…let alone a month old infant, regardless is he was dangling or just _using_\* the little tyke as a prop. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/26 "2004-01-06T15:32:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*I hate making the comparison, but what if Michael Jackson had deemed it necessary to dangle his infant over the balcony? Would we be compelled to respect that? > \*\* Depends on the reason. What if Micheal Jackson were to put his infant in a heavy metal object and move that object at high speeds around other high speed metal objects with the possibility of a slight error (either his or someone elses) resulting in a fatel collision? Would we respect that? Depends on the reason of the risk. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/27 "2004-01-06T15:57:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by netscape 6 \* > \*\*Depends on the reason. > > What if Micheal Jackson were to put his infant in a heavy metal object and move that object at high speeds around other high speed metal objects with the possibility of a slight error (either his or someone elses) resulting in a fatel collision? Would we respect that? > > Depends on the reason of the risk. \*\* I agree - it all depends on the reason - if the heavy metal object happened to be a car and the infant was well-protected by a certified safety seat, I think most people would consider it sufficiently safe - if the metal object happened to be the rotating drum of a cement mixer, most sane people would consider it unsafe. In most cases, putting an infant in a car serves some sort of other purpose, such as travelling to a place where food can be obtained, or the infant can be educated - something like that. As far as I can see, the inclusion of the infant in the Irwin/Crocodile incident only serves the purpose of further inflating his ego. Comparisons to other scenarios are always likely to be flawed - if we want to compare this incident to putting an infant into a car, I suggest that a suitable comparison would have to include pointless risk, such as rally driving, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/28 "2004-01-06T15:58:15Z")
I object to the hysterical use of the word “dangle”, which conjures up images of Thetis dipping Achilles into the River Styx by his heel. Neither what Michael Jackson nor Steve Irwin did qualifies as dangling, except in the fevered imaginations of those overreactive soccermoms with nothing better to do than whine, _“Won’t someone please think of the Chiiiildren?!?!?!?”_ ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/29 "2004-01-06T16:17:12Z")
I would definitely dangle my child about a crocodile. To have either would be a hallucination, so why not enjoy it? ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/30 "2004-01-06T19:03:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*I agree - it all depends on the reason - if the heavy metal object happened to be a car and the infant was well-protected by a certified safety seat, I think most people would consider it sufficiently safe - if the metal object happened to be the rotating drum of a cement mixer, most sane people would consider it unsafe. > \*\* Even with a safety seat the chance of injury/death is very real for most driving. What keeps it as safe as it is is our skill as drivers. Given the fact thet Irwin himself has not been eaton, he must have some skill. Also if you ever watch the show, I used too, he winds up in situations where if he tripped or something he would be eaton. However I still hold that he believed he had good reason too. He likely wants to teach his kids his trade just like his father did. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*In most cases, putting an infant in a car serves some sort of other purpose, such as travelling to a place where food can be obtained, or the infant can be educated - something like that. > \*\* what about people who take jonoir on a pleasure drive? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*As far as I can see, the inclusion of the infant in the Irwin/Crocodile incident only serves the purpose of further inflating his ego. > \*\* we’ll just have to disagree here. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Comparisons to other scenarios are always likely to be flawed - if we want to compare this incident to putting an infant into a car, I suggest that a suitable comparison would have to include pointless risk, such as rally driving, perhaps. \*\* I agree comparisons are flawed. However a suitable comparison would have to include some long term gain. I think in his mind there was a gain to be had down the road. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/31 "2004-01-06T19:10:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Would you dangle your month old child over a hungry Crocodiles head? > \*\* No. Not my 1 month old. My 16 year old, yes. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/32 "2004-01-06T19:36:22Z")
I was manhandling a chicken the other day, in preparation for roasting it, and I just wanted to say that the tactile resemblance between a baby and a good sized roaster when held under both “arms” is quite startling. I’m not sure why I’m bringing this up. The walkabout portion of the video just reminded me. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Mazelmavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mazelmavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mazelmavin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/33 "2004-01-07T02:56:29Z")
I get the feeling Steve would have done this whether the public was there or not. And he will continue to put his kids in “danger”. He wants his children to get used to being around wildlife. Jackson, on the other hand, did what he did BECAUSE of the public. Not as a publicity stunt, mind you, just to show off. I will say this, it wasn’t the smartest move for a man in the public eye to make. But I wouldn’t call him a bad father. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/34 "2004-01-07T05:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > **if the metal object happened to be the rotating drum of a cement mixer** Don’t judge Michael too harshly. He just wants his kids to look like him. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/35 "2004-01-07T06:06:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by \*\*Fear Itself \*\* > … Neither what Michael Jackson nor Steve Irwin did qualifies as dangling … \*\* what Michael Jackson did was definitely dangling. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/36 "2004-01-07T08:08:03Z")
Would I carry a child near a croc? Of course not, I don’t have the knowledge, training, or reflexes Steve Irwin has. If I did have the extensive knowlege of them that he has and made the educated decision that there was little to no danger, then I don’t see the big deal. Near as I can tell, the crocs there are so well-fed that they’re almost never really hungry anyway, so the title question is really pretty moot. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/37 "2004-01-07T16:39:41Z")
I personally think what SI did was stupid and irresponsible. To introduce your child to the “dangers in (his) backyard” is all well and good, but how about saving it for when the child’s sensory input goes beyond “hungry” “cold” “hot” “poopy”? A one-month old is barely able to hold up its own head… please explain to me how it’s supposed to suddenly have the mental capacity to understand “Hey, that big scaly thing can kill me, I’d better treat it with respect!” Does a child that age even have the visual acuity to notice something that far away? Serious question that popped into my head: raw chicken carries salmonella. Lizards carry salmomella. You can’t tell me that enclosure isn’t _crawling_ with diseases that are natural to a croc’s state of health but potentially nasty to humans. Especially tiny humans whose immune systems aren’t fully functional. On the basis of that alone, wasn’t this a pretty stupid thing to do? Throughout the press on this case, I’ve been repeatedly reminded of the footage of the alligator handler whose act included putting his head in the mouth of a full-grown gator to show how safe it was. One day, a tiny BEAD OF SWEAT dropped onto the gator’s tongue, triggering its “close mouth now” response, and suddenly the handler has a several-hundred-pound gator’s jaws clamped around his head. ::shudder:: I stand by my earlier comments in another thread- Steve and his wife are ADULTS. They are capable of making their own decisions to act stupidly around wild animals. But they don’t have the right to make those kinds of decisions for their one-month-old, who simply cannot comprehend the “education” they’re trying to give him. Oh, and to answer the OP- no. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/38 "2004-01-07T16:45:31Z")
I think this is a moot debate…I mean, we don’t even know if the croc even LIKES the taste of babies. JUST KIDDING! ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/39 "2004-01-07T23:28:14Z")
My dear old Dad was an alligator hunter when it was still legal. That’s how he bought his red convertable Super Sports he met Mom in. She says it had a white interior and he wouldn’t date women that smoked. Anyway, there is nothing in the swamps that Dad was afraid of. Mom recalls watching Dad catch alligators half the night and skin them the next day. The first couple of times he took her hunting with him, she thought she would become a widow and wondered how she would get home. Growing up, I witnessed my father, many times, snag a ten or twelve foot alligator with a cord and hook, carefully pull it to the bank, jump on it, and drag it out of the water. He taught me many things about alligators and the other minions of the river. I consulted with Mom on Saturday, she had seen the clip. “Hugh Lee would never had done anything so stupid”, she said. That is all I need to know. Dad died Jan. 3, 1982. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807/40 "2004-01-08T14:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*I personally think what SI did was stupid and irresponsible. To introduce your child to the “dangers in (his) backyard” is all well and good, but how about saving it for when the child’s sensory input goes beyond “hungry” “cold” “hot” “poopy”? A one-month old is barely able to hold up its own head… please explain to me how it’s supposed to suddenly have the mental capacity to understand “Hey, that big scaly thing can kill me, I’d better treat it with respect!” Does a child that age even have the visual acuity to notice something that far away? > \*\* I think it’s about getting the lad used to the site of crocks. You can get used to the sites and sounds of things long before you can remember them. At any rate are you condeming people who take their kids on pleasure drives? I still hold Steve was in control enough to mitigate most of the danger to level of danger in a car drive. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*Serious question that popped into my head: raw chicken carries salmonella. Lizards carry salmomella. You can’t tell me that enclosure isn’t _crawling_ with diseases that are natural to a croc’s state of health but potentially nasty to humans. Especially tiny humans whose immune systems aren’t fully functional. On the basis of that alone, wasn’t this a pretty stupid thing to do? > \*\* So how come he or is wife is not getting sick regulary? If they were you would think you would hear about that. How about people who live in rural south Florida? There is alot of lizards down there including gators. Maybe it was not "_crawling_ with diseases that are natural to a croc’s state of health but potentially nasty to humans " afterall. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*Throughout the press on this case, I’ve been repeatedly reminded of the footage of the alligator handler whose act included putting his head in the mouth of a full-grown gator to show how safe it was. One day, a tiny BEAD OF SWEAT dropped onto the gator’s tongue, triggering its “close mouth now” response, and suddenly the handler has a several-hundred-pound gator’s jaws clamped around his head. ::shudder:: > \*\* Did he put the baby in or near the crock’s mouth? The footage I saw of it showed him keeping the baby away from it’s mouth. Come to think of it I have never seen him put is head in a crock’s mouth either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-dangle-your-month-old-child-over-a-hungry-crocodiles-head/222807.md?page=3)