Excerpt:
In late 1970s Vienna, a father bought his little girl a baby crocodile for her birthday. The child had become enchanted with the reptile after seeing a picture of it in a storybook and when all the other presents were opened, her new pet was presented to her.
The little girl was delighted with the present. She tried to kiss the crocodile. The croc bit her on the nose. The little girl began to cry and had to be taken to the hospital. And the angry father went off to dispose of the nasty little beast.
On the next day, the police responded to reports of a strange creature floating in the Danube canal. The crocodile was rescued from the canal and the father was reprimanded for nearly causing the creature, used to the warmer climes of the east, to catch a cold in the chilly waters.