Giant coconut crabs crash a family camping on Christmas Island in Australia.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day of fun, alfresco barbecue for a group of Australian families. That was until coconut crabs, also known as robber crabs, looking out for food suddenly showed up and swarmed the campsite.
Luetich told Daily Mail Australia that she has never seen so many of these creatures at one time before. They have camped in that area several times before but have never seen so many crabs.
Coconut crabs swarmed them as soon as they started cooking
Mrs. Luetich recalled that they saw 20 robber crabs under a tree when they arrived. However, as soon as they started cooking, the giant crabs started swarming them. The giant crabs then climbed onto the barbecue while some climbed up the table.
Her son counted as many as 52 and was tasked to pick the crabs up and move them away from where the family is eating. Her son "was loving it" the whole time, she added. They had to keep their tents away from the place where they had eaten, though. But she said one of the families felt one of the crabs tapping on the outside their tent the whole night.
"Robber crabs" are protected on Christmas Island
Big and scary-looking as they are, the coconut crabs are harmless. And the families did not seem to mind and just enjoyed the moment with their uninvited guests. They also managed to take photos and were shared on the Christmas Island Tourism Facebook page. "Robber crabs behaving badly!" the post's caption read.
They added that coconut crabs have an incredible sense of smell, and while they are generally slow-moving, they move fast when food is around. Robber crabs are protected and respected on Christmas Island, the post noted. Some commenters also shared their experience with the giant crabs.
I have a pet Coconut crab , I was given it as a present to eat but knew they are rare and he must be at least 40 years old . We live Solomon Islands - O. Thomson
This is is so lovely, it's great to see people coexisting gently with curious wildlife! - K. Tunn
This happened to us on Dolly Beach .on our honeymoonin 2013 .went for a swim came back they were going through our rucksacks. - T.A. Chamberlain
They are like puppies. We hung out on dolly beach feeding them coconuts. So cute! - C. Chu
Lost a sneaker to these buggers one night. Couldn't find a one legged robber crab! - L. Griffin
In some cultures, though, coconut crabs are considered a delicacy and aphrodisiac. They are considered the largest species of terrestrial crustacean. They can weigh up to 4 kilograms and span up to 1 meter from leg to leg. Coconut crabs reach sexual maturity at five years and love up to 60 years.
Coconut crabs are particularly famous for their ability to crack open and feed on coconuts. They can also climb trees as high as 10 meters. However, they are not known to have the ability to descend from trees. Often, you would just see them drop down from the tree.
