Thick, gluey thigh-deep mud will be Australian hunter John Lever's stickiest challenge when he tries to catch the Yuen Long crocodile, according to a senior police officer.
If Mr Lever plans to wade into the Yuen Long creek to grab the reptile with his bare hands, as he has promised, he should know about the unpleasant-smelling mire, the officer warned.
He said the tidal river contained pig effluent from nearby farms and other pollutants. 'I'm glad it's him not me getting in there, that mud is deep.'
The officer said he had watched Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) staff trying to cut the reeds on the bank and their boots had stuck fast. 'I don't know why the croc doesn't sink into it - maybe it's because he has four feet.'
He also warned Mr Lever about the effects of high and low tide in the creek. The water reached a high tide of 2.5 metres at midnight, with a low tide of half a metre between 9am and 10am, he said.
The officer strongly recommended Mr Lever visit the river at both high and low tides before he attempted anything. 'Just walking off an aircraft into the river is not a good idea,' he added.