(RNN) – Pippa the terrier had a big reputation, far bigger than her diminutive size.
For more than a decade, the sandy-colored hound was famous for tormenting a large crocodile named Casey in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Pippa, also known as “Dumb Blonde,” would bark and nip at the reptile’s tail, chasing it back into the river that flows around Goat Island, where she lived with her owner Kai Hansen.
Hansen and his 15-pound pup were the subjects of an ABC News story last year about their lives in the outback, southeast of Darwin.
Pippa’s luck ran out this week when the terrier lunged at Casey’s head instead of its tail. The croc snapped her up and disappeared into the river to the screams of onlookers.
Hansen told ABC News that the incident was “really sad” but said he didn’t blame the 11-foot reptile.
"She's not doing something wrong; she's just doing what crocs do," he said.
Some on social media turned against Hansen, saying Pippa’s owner was responsible for her demise.
"A little terrier should not do things like that. But should I stop her? I don't know, she got away with it for 10 years," he said.
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