The true story of the Croc boys of the Bay

HOW do you catch a plus-size croc mama with a serious sense of humour failure, running amok and trapping staff inside their quarters at a guest house, like a horror scene straight from ‘Revenge of Croczilla IV’?

The Zululand Observer asked one of the ‘Croc boys of the Bay’, David Pretorius how one captures a creature so clever and fearsome, that it survived the prehistoric age.

Local crime buster, David is used to being called out for crime emergencies, but little did he know his next call would present some fancy footwork.

‘I love animals, especially crocodiles – I watched every episode of Steve Irwin religiously, so in theory, I knew the procedure,’says David.

‘When the call came, I phoned around for help, but it was late, no-one was able to come and the workers could not go home.’

It was do or die.

‘I phoned my brother Josh and our best buddies, John and Nicolae, for back-up.

Then the running and jumping started, in full view of a growing crowd of onlookers, watching the ‘experts’ at work.

‘Hours later, we had the noose in place and the eyes covered.

‘All that was left, was the jumping on her back – we knew if we jumped, we would have to commit. There was no turning back in mid-air.’

‘Then I stressed about what to tell my dad if one of us got home mangled or missing a limb because we were catching a croc.’

And so they did. Rolling and swearing, they subdued their first croc.

‘When we released her safely, it felt so good.

David and Josh have since rescued many crocs, snakes and Zululand creatures wandering the roads.

‘Now, we do it in 20 minutes flat.’

Musical family

The brothers are the sons of Corrie Pretorius – local crime fighter and member of the band ZeeRoover.

‘Dad plays the guitar, piano, harmonica, the drums and he can sing.’

Their grandfather, Danny Pretorius, was a famed storyteller and comedian on ‘Maak ‘n las’ and ‘Spies en Plessis’ where he told stories in Afrikaans, English and Zulu.

Joshua plays the guitar and sings and sister, Amy (12), is also a nightingale, but David reserves his vocal talents for the shower.

‘I sketch in pen – I am intrigued by symbolism and fantasy.’

Mom Ida, an ordained minister, keeps the family on the straight and narrow and stitches up the battle scars of the adventurous brood.

‘As boys, Josh and I once confronted an intruder with brand new pellet guns we got for Christmas – it turned out to be a leopard – so it did not go so well,’ he smiles.

The Pretorius clan is a close family with a deep love for Zululand and a passion for community involvement, crime fighting, justice, rescue and protection.

The trio owns a security company and in addition, volunteer 24 hour security patrols, in cooperation with SAPS, the CPF and volunteer patrollers.

Dave is part of the local National Sea Rescue Institute and is on the ministerial task team aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Community Policing Forums and the police.

His trusted companion in all his feats, is his Pitbull, Tokolosh, who shadows him wherever he goes.

‘We’ve been in many dangerous situations, but I am not an advocate for violence.

‘The most important skill to have, is communication and the ability to defuse conflict peacefully.

‘Also, vigilance, observation and the inner voice of warning that something is amiss.’

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