[Jify]

Actually, I went right to the source.

The crocodiles appeared to ingest the stein, torch, broom or shovel shortly after birth (spawning). It logically follows that the 4 quest items should be readily available on the ground, since that is the only area in which the crocodiles can eat the items shortly after spawning.

However, try as I must, I could not find any of the 4 items on the ground in any quantity. I did, at one point, see an invisible gnome run by.

I've concluded that the crocodiles must be eating gnomes, which, depending on their level of intelligence, will do one of the following:

+Craft a torch, so they can explore the innards of the crocodile (assumed to be looking for a way out)
+Craft a broom, so they can clean up their temporary home.
+Craft a shovel, in which to dig out of the crocodile. (Note: They may simply use the shovel to pile excrement away from themselves, in order to use the broom somewhat succesfully)
+Craft a stein, once they've given up hope, to drink a specially concocted crocodile-gut beer.

Now, since only one single item is found per kill, the gnomes must follow some sort of sequence. I'd like to propose the following timeline:
+Gnome is swallowed.
+Gnome crafts torch to look around.
+Gnome decides to ride it out, dissembles torch to craft shovel.
+Gnome begins pilling poop away from it.
+Gnome then crafts a broom from the shovel.
+Broom used to further clean the area.
+Gnome realizes it's hopeless, and crafts a stein from the shovel.
+Gnome drinks until dead (not that long, gnomes are lightweights)
+Adventurer kills crocodile, discovers stein.

So, in order to find your torch you must find a freshly eaten gnome within a crocodile.

My solution to the problem? I put up safety posters in the basement of CT to alert gnomes to the danger of gnome eating crocodiles, and advised that they use the buddy system.

Crocodile related gnome fatalities have gone down 75%. Meanwhile, the amount of posts complaining about low drop rates have increased by 75%. Coincidence? I think not.