It was a record breaking year for crocodile catchers in the Northern Territory … and grey nomads and others are being warned to be particularly `crocwise’.
The Parks and Wildlife Commission says 314 saltwater crocodiles were caught in Top End waters in 2012 … an average of six salties every week. The Northern Territory News reports that the catch was made up of 295 salties removed from the Darwin region and 19 in Katherine. The previous record was 306 set two years ago. The biggest croc caught was a 4.85 metre monster trapped at Corroboree Billabong.
Senior wildlife ranger Tom Nichols said the crocodile management team had been able to catch more crocodiles in the past few years by using more traps and custom-fitted boats, which include harpoon racks, crocodile slides, self-draining decks and side rails.
“We urge everyone to be extremely cautious around all waterways and to heed safety signs,” Mr Nichols told the NT News. “Estuarine crocodiles are common in the Top End and can inhabit any waterways including freshwater systems, billabongs and low areas subject to flooding.”
Mr Nichols said visitors should use commonsense.
“This means behaving responsibly in and around Territory waters and not putting yourself or others at risk of crocodile attack.”
I don’t understand why after all those years of evolution put us at the top of the food chain, we now allow conservationists to push us back down below crocs and sharks. Farm them if you want to prevent extinction, but personally I’d be in favor of a severe cull of crocs to protect my own species. In my book putting crocs before people ranks right up there with the extremists I’ve met who consider that the planet would be better off without people. That may be true but who would care?
Don’t know where you live Marianna but it’s usually southerners who want a cull, locals know they are there and take care as all the warnings suggest. We fish Corroboree a lot and have done for 40 years and is a favourite place to take visitors who love to see the Crocs.
I’d rather drink drivers were culled, how many lives a year would that save?
Cheers