Crocodile picks beauty queen over chicken dinner

Crocodile picks beauty queen over chicken dinner Sydney  - Australian beauty queen Rachel Finch was jetting to the Miss Universe contest in the Bahamas Friday hoping the judges would single her out just like one monster crocodile did earlier in the week when she visited Darwin's Crocodylus Park.

"As soon as I saw him move I got nervous," Finch said of Wednesday's heart-stopping encounter with 5-metre Eric.

And with good reason: rather than go for the chicken a keeper dangled in front of those massive jaws, Eric lunged for Finch instead.

Her celebrity had secured Finch a photo opportunity with Eric, one of the biggest and oldest crocs at the far-north tourist attraction. But the beauty-and-the-beast tableau didn't go well.

"There's always an element of, you know, something not going to plan," keeper Charlie Manolis told the Northern Territory News. "He's a nice old croc but I wouldn't like to be on the wrong end of him."

In the Bahamas, Finch is hoping to match the performance of fellow Australian Jennifer Hawkins, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2004. (dpa)