Authorities have finally caught a massive crocodile that has been terrorizing locals for months.
14-Foot Crocodile Caught in Australia
The giant crocodile, which spans 14.1 feet in length, had spent the last several months stalking around the Australian town of Cordelia in north Queensland. The massive croc was observed to menacingly follow farm and domestic animals and feed on chickens.
Local authorities have deemed the reptile dangerous. They were also able to successfully catch it on Herbert River banks.
Lawrence Perticato, who lives by the river, shares that the crocodile began to come for them and stalk them by the riverbank. Perticato shares about spending his whole life living by the riverbank and becoming used to crocodiles. With this, he knows when a dangerous one is present.
Perticato shares how concerning it is that the crocodile has been stalking them. He eventually reached out to the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation. The department spent more than a month trying to catch the reptile.
Tony Frisby, a senior wildlife officer, shares in a statement of the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation that wildlife investigators look into each sighting report. When they observe the croc's behavior, they target it for removal. Frisby adds that they tried using an in-river floating trap. However, because of the heightened river levels and rainfall amount, they needed to add a gated trap, which rests over the riverbank.
The trap eventually caught the crocodile. The croc made a lot of noise as authorities arrived to take it away. Ella Meeve, a wildlife officer, shares that the crocodile was not thrilled and that it was quite vocal, with several bellows and growls.
Meeve says that they are all relieved that the animal has been removed.
Along with another 10-foot crocodile that was trapped in Ross River banks in Townsville, this 14-foot crocodile will be kept in a wildlife sanctuary or zoo.
However, Frisby notes that the removal of these crocodiles does not make Ross River or Herbert River safe. Townsville region, specifically, is a crocodile country. It is nevertheless important for people to make sensible decisions and avoid staying complacent.
The advice of the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation is that individuals who live close to waterways in regions where crocodiles are prevalent should steer clear of the water, never leave food or fish craps, and never feed crocodiles. They also advise day swimming and only in clear water.
Traps should be altogether avoided. Using small watercraft, such as kayaks, should also be avoided. Smaller vessels pose greater risk, as crocodiles have historically taken people aboard small vessels.
Saltwater Crocodiles
The reptile was likely a saltwater crocodile found along the rivers and estuaries across the Indo-Pacific area. They are the largest crocodile species, as they can grow up to a length of 20 feet. These crocodiles have also been estimated to kill roughly 1,000 people all over the world.
In Australia, there are around 200,000 saltwater crocodiles. However, only relatively few attacks are seen in the country. On average, one person gets attacked each year across the country. Since 2018, there have been three attack-related deaths that were reported in Australia.
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