Wildlife

After frightening the residents for months, a massive crocodile has finally been apprehended by the authorities.

For several months, the 14.1-foot-long crocodile had been prowling the town of Cordelia in north Queensland, Australia, menacingly pursuing household and agricultural animals and consuming chickens.

The croc, which the local authorities had labeled a hazardous animal, was caught on Sunday on the banks of the Herbert River.

Lawrence Perticato, a Cordelia resident who lives on the Herbert River, told ABC North Queensland, "He started to come for us and stalk us on the riverbank here." "I've lived on the river all my life and have become accustomed to crocodiles, and I know when there's a dangerous one."

"With this guy stalking us the way he has been, it's become very concerning," he stated. "I do a lot of fishing here in the river and haven't been able to put my boat in because it's just too dangerous."

After Perticato finally got in touch with the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, they made an effort to catch the animal for more than a month.

The crocodile was probably a saltwater crocodile, which are mostly found in Australia, Southeast Asia, and India in estuaries and rivers throughout the Indo-Pacific area. They can reach a length of 20 feet, making them the largest species of crocodile. Globally, these crocodiles are thought to have murdered about 1,000 people.

Australia is home to about 200,000 saltwater crocs, although the nation has very few attacks—on average, one person is bitten there every year, and three fatalities have been reported there since 2018.

In a statement released by the Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation, senior wildlife officer Tony Frisby stated, "We targeted the crocodile for removal from the wild after observing its behavior. Wildlife officers investigate every sighting report." "We tried an in-river floating trap but due to the amount of rainfall and elevated river levels, we had to install a gated trap, which is a trap that rests on the riverbank."

On Sunday, the crocodile was eventually caught in the trap. Officers arrived to remove the crocodile from its appointed spot, and it was not pleased to be there. It made a lot of noise.

According to Ella Meeve, the wildlife officer, "he was not very thrilled," ABC North Qld reported. "He was very vocal—there were a lot of growls and bellows."

"We are all very relieved that we have now removed that animal," Meeve stated. "If people were to walk too close to the water, it could have been bad news."

Concurrently, a ten-foot crocodile was stranded on the Townsville, Queensland, banks of the Ross River.

"The crocodile on the Ross River had also been hanging around the weir for several weeks and it was targeted for removal from the wild due to its behavior and risk it posed to public safety," Frisby stated.

These two crocs will eventually reside in a wildlife sanctuary or zoo.

"People must understand that the removal of these crocodiles does not make the Herbert River or the Ross River safer," Frisby stated. "The Townsville region is Croc Country, and people should be Crocwise by making sensible choices around waterways and avoiding complacency."

"People need to be aware that they are responsible for their own safety in Croc Country, and should expect crocodiles in all waterways, even if there are no signs there," he stated.

In regions where crocodiles are frequent, the Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation encourages residents to stay away from the water completely and to never feed the animals or leave food or fish scraps close to the water's edge. Additionally, because saltwater crocodiles can be found in the ocean, they recommend swimming only during the day and in clean water, even in the sea. It is best to stay away from croc traps and to use small boats like kayaks.

"Avoid going anywhere near crocodiles with tiny boats like kayaks or paddleboards. They warn that the risk increases with vessel size because crocodiles have snatched human lives from little boats.