Record number of croc reports

Queensland experienced a record number of crocodile sightings last year as debate continues over whether there should be a cull of the reptiles.

According to data from the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, there were 1216 saltwater or estuarine crocodile sightings reported in 2023, smashing the previous record of 1185 set in 2021.

The numbers are a huge increase on a decade ago, when there were just 336 sightings reported to the department.

However, a department spokesperson said an increase in sightings did not necessarily mean a surge in crocodile numbers, as the advent of mobile phone apps and online portals made it easier to report sightings and there was no way to distinguish whether a single crocodile may have been sighted or reported on multiple occasions.

Outback Queensland politicians Bob and Robbie Katter have long been vocal in calling for a cull of the apex predators, with calls growing louder after the death of Laura pub owner Kevin Darmody in a crocodile attack last April.

It followed a number of close encounters between humans and crocs in the state’s north, while several pet dogs were also taken by crocodiles.

There have been four other fatal attacks on humans in Queensland in the past seven years, including the death of fisherman Andrew Heard off Hinchinbrook Island in 2021.

Under Queensland law, crocodiles remain a protected species, with the reptiles only euthanised as a last resort in special cases. About 50 crocs were relocated last year, with six euthanised.

There has also been a push to allow the harvesting of crocodile eggs as a way to control populations, but according to DESI, no eggs were collected last year.

The number of crocodiles removed from Queensland waterways last year (48) was lower than in the several previous years, with almost half (22) occurring in the Cairns region while nine were removed from waters on the Cassowary Coast near Innisfail.