At least half a dozen juvenile crocodiles went on the run in Broome after they either escaped, or were stolen, from a local crocodile park.
A 20-centimetre-juvenile was found on the Cable Beach foreshore and carried to a waterfront cafe, another was discovered in a swimming pool, yet another was run over by a car, and it is believed several are still on the loose.
The old Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park has been closed to tourists for several years, but is still home to hundreds of crocodiles, many of them hatchlings.
Malcolm Douglas’ widow Valerie told the ABC that the animals were stolen during a weekend break-in and then set free.
“Every hatchling is potentially worth $1,000 in earnings, future earnings, so I’ve just lost thousands of dollars worth of property,” she said. “It’s theft, it’s breaking and entering, and it’s trespassing, and all of those things can be prosecuted for, so if anyone knows who did this, please let me know.”
The Department of Parks and Wildlife is investigating the incident, and said it would be “monitoring the park’s crocodile security compliance”.
