Crocs in the firing line

ABOUT 35 crocodiles have been shot or removed across the Far North so far this year – and many eradications were the result of risky behaviour by people.

A total 18 crocodiles had their fate altered in the Cairns Regional Council area, with 13 removed across Cassowary Coast Regional Council and two apiece at Douglas Shire and Cook Shire.

The Department of Environment and Science is warning crocodiles will be on the move as the wet season gets under way, advising people to be wary near water – even when there’s no warning signs.

A DES spokesman said crocodiles would be looking for food, establishing breeding territories and seeking a mate.

“Risky behaviour by people in and around waterways can lead to interactions between people and crocodiles that can result in serious injury or death,” he said.

Crocs will loiter around boat ramps or marinas if anglers inadvertently or deliberately feed them fish scraps and discarded bait. And the fine for deliberately feeding crocodiles is $5222.

Crocodiles posing a threat to human safety are targeted for removal under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan – but it seems in many instances, people have disregarded the threat posed by crocodiles.

It comes after a fisherman had a “miracle” escape from a 4m croc that dragged him into the water in remote Cape York on November 4.

That crocodile will stay in its Mcivor River home given the remote location and limited access to the site. Others haven’t been as lucky.

A 4.3m “icon” crocodile was removed from the Mowbray River near Port Douglas in late October.

The reptile was suspected of taking several weaner calves and was near an informal swimming hole and fishing area used by children.

A 2.2m crocodile was removed from the Redbank boat ramp at Packers Camp in recent weeks, with DES saying wildlife officers feared the croc was hanging around the boat ramp because people had been feeding it.

A 2.5m croc was shot in the head after a pair of soldiers were mauled while swimming a kilometre off the Lockhart River coast in Cape York in September. Both have returned to duty. In May, a 4.5m croc with a crab pot stuck on its head was removed from Newell Beach.

Crocodiles are often spotted at Port Douglas golf courses and during times of flooding, in sports fields or even suburban streets.