The Yearning To Touch

This is exactly the reason I touched that carpet python in 2006: the desire for tactile understanding is irresistible:

A man who was mauled by a five-metre crocodile after climbing into its enclosure in Western Australia's north says he did it because he wanted to know what its skin felt like.

...Mr Newman, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack, says he just wanted to pat the massive reptile.

"I thought to myself, well I will jump the fence and go from behind its tail and pat it and sit on its back," he said.

"Within like one split second - before I even slightly touched its back - it already had me by my leg here."

Mr Newman says he gripped hold of the fence and yelled at the crocodile to let go of him.

The crocodile, known as Fatso, opened its jaws and Mr Newman says he scrambled out of the enclosure.

Mr Newman says he did not realise it would move so quickly.

...Mr Newman, who moved to Broome a fortnight ago, says he had only had a few beers in the lead-up to the incident.

Yesterday, experts said the cold night and the reptile's slow response was the reason he was able to escape.