A woman with three crocodiles strapped to her waist was stopped at the Gaza-Egypt border crossing after guards noticed that she looked “strangely fat,” officials said Monday.
The woman’s shape raised suspicions at the Rafah terminal in southern Gaza, and a body search by a female border guard turned up the animals, each about 20 inches long, concealed underneath her loose robe, according to Maria Telleria, spokeswoman for the European observers who run the crossing.
“The woman looked strangely fat. Even though she was veiled and covered, even with so many clothes on there was something strange,” Telleria said.
The incident, which took place on Thursday, sparked panic at the crossing.
“The policewoman screamed and ran out of the room, and then women began screaming and panicking when they heard,” Telleria said. But when the hysteria died down, she said, “everybody was admiring a woman who is able to tie crocodiles to her body.”
In her defense, the woman said she “was asked” to carry the crocodiles, said Wael Dahab, a spokesman for the Palestinian guards at the crossing. She was permitted to cross without the animals.
The reptiles, which had their jaws tied shut with string, were returned to the Egyptian side of the border.
Dahab said the animals were likely meant for sale to Gaza’s small zoo or to private owners. The crocodiles would fetch “good money,” even in the impoverished territory, he said. In Gaza, the animals can fetch about $500 — roughly two months’ salary for a low-ranking policeman.
16 Responses
Why are they being “melamed zchus” on her? Why don’t they just try her for smuggling a lethal weapon for the purpose of killing Yidden? – Hashem Yerachem!
Brings new meaning to “Tovel V’Sheretz B’Yado”!
I’m not amazed that she was able to keep the crockodile’s mouth closed with string, since the opening streght of a crockodile’s mouth is not that strong,
The closing stregnth of a (grown) crockodile’s bite is about 2500 pounds per square inch.
But that stregnth is only when they close they’re mouth – not when they open it. In fact a human would be able to hold a crockodile’s mouth shut with his bare hands, since they are not to powerfull when it comes to opening they’re mouth.
Sheryl,
What a lesson from a crocadile. If only humans could close their own mouths with that much strength, and be slow to open them…
sheryl, I’ll take your word for it – no experimenting with crocodiles for me!!!
the woman’s children where learning in school about the ‘eser makous’.
she was going to do ‘show and tell’ what ‘zefardeiah’ is…
Sheryl, that’s pretty amazing information. Thank you! (I’m off to share this with my kids- they love this stuff!)
sheryl, kudos for your knowledge and information.
I think we should all learn a great lesson from these crocodiles: Let’s keep our mouths shut, and let it be difficult for us to open them !
Why didn’t they just untie their mouths & send her on her way…
Sheryl – Just curious. How do u know so much about crocodiles?
Due to popular demand here are some more croc facts,
Length: 120 – 276 inches
Weight: 2000 – 3000 lbs
Offspring: 40 – 60
Life Span: 70 years
People walk around with alligators on their clothing all of the time without any big panic around here.
Maybe crocodiles is just the next big thing…
Now that gives me an idea, : The crocodile- the new symbol or mascot of the Hamas lead gvt! Slimy crawling creatures who try to consume us
First of all, crocodiles are not slimy, though they are crawling creatures. Secondly, it does take courage to strap three crocodiles to your body even if their mouths are strapped shut; perhaps it really takes idiocy and stupidity. Thirdly, the woman didn’t necessarily have anything to do with Hamas or any other government faction of Palestine. And as for the comment by kitzur_dot_net, what led you to believe that she was smuggling them for the purpose of killing Yidden? They were three small crocodiles and not everything negative that takes place in Israel is for the purpose of killing Yidden! It is an interesting story but, hello, nothing major to get so excited about!!!!
nikki – today crocodile (tears), tomorrow bomb belts!
Sheryl – the crocodile (fact) hunter – great posts
my vote for best post on this thread goes to….
a tie: Shmeel and Chacham 🙂
niki happens to be right.
she was NOT going to kill yidden.
it was a textbook case of smuggling to make money.
she was smugling them because she was going to sell them and they fetch alot of money in Gaza
the end result was that they confiscated the crocodiles and sent her on her merry way.
If her goal was terrorism, she would not have been let go.