HK croc gives hunter the slip
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Lever came close enough to touch the croc on Friday.
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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- An elusive crocodile that has outwitted Hong Kong officials for almost a fortnight, has given the slip to an Australian hunter for the second night in a row.
Initially, poor visibility and a very shy crocodile stymied hunter John Lever's second day of trying to track the 1.2-meter reptile.
But later Saturday, as a bumper crowd looked on at the high-profile showdown, Lever got to within meters of the croc and launched a harpoon at it. But the harpoon missed, sending a frightened crocodile scuttling off into the murky waters of the territory's Yuen Long.
"Tonight I am a little disappointed," a tired Lever told reporters.
"We were about four to five meters away and I thought he was going under the water so I threw the harpoon at it, but I missed."
"I am prepared to stay a week to get this croc," he added.
Lever's arrival in Hong Kong on Thursday was met by a media mob keen to get a glimpse of and a few words from the croc star. In fact, his welcoming committee was more extravagant than what was accorded rock group the Rolling Stones a week earlier.
And the croc star didn't let the throng down, promising to wrestle the animal into submission with his bare hands.
The crocodile has been at large since it was first spotted in the Yuen Long neighborhood more than 12 days ago. And Lever's ready to risk his reputation going after it.
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A large crowd watches proceedings on Friday.
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"I shall be very embarrassed if I don't catch the croc," he said.
Shortly after his arrival, Lever raced to the riverbank in Yuen Long where the croc was last seen. In pursuit were dozens of reporters.
But the croc was probably unaware of all the fuss it has caused, and according to Lever not a lot would be going through its mind.
"Crocodile's have very small brains, they're only about this big," he says, gesturing to his thumb.
However, that's big enough to outwit the Hong Kong government who initially baulked at Lever's offer of help.
Officials have set baited traps. But after sniffing around the traps, the cunning croc disappeared again.
Lever's efforts have also come up empty thus far. On Friday he spent three hours scouring the stinking, polluted swamp the croc has called home to no avail.
On Saturday, the swamp was "like a soup", Lever said, and the croc was capable of spending up to an hour underwater at a time. But sightings of the croc heightened anticipation of a showdown later in the day.
The crocodile -- which hasn't harmed anyone -- has captivated Hong Kongers.
Residents of Yuen Long are thrilled to have a real-life Crocodile Dundee on their doorstep and children have been mobbing Lever whenever he returns to land.
Others have been following his every move, eager to see what, if anything, he can find in the murky waters.
The croc hunt has also sparked a naming contest with Gucci -- after the fashion house that sells crocodile skin bags -- currently leading the way.
But plans aren't to turn the croc into a fashion accessory. Instead, Gucci will be kept alive in a wildlife sanctuary if the croc is ever caught.
-- CNN Correspondent Andrew Brown contributed to this report.
