Crocs snapped too close for comfort
A CROCODILE, believed to be a freshwater species, has stunned visitors to a lake on the Atherton Tablelands.
David and Deb Stacey from the Karma Farm at Jaggen visited Lake Eacham with a friend from the Sunshine Coast.
But what started as a birdwatching trip ended with a surprise crocodile sighting.
“We were about 100m left of the pontoon and we noticed a line of fish,” Mrs Stacey said.
“They were in a perfectly straight line and it was just a really odd way for them to swim.
“Then the fish went away but there was still this line and that’s when we saw the croc.”
Mrs Stacey said her friend, Leesa Beutel, managed to snap a photo of the croc, which had attracted more than 70,000 views on social media yesterday.
She said her daughter, Carter, had been back swimming at the popular lake since the sighting.
It’s not the only croc that’s been spotted in the Far North in recent days.
Benita Williams snapped a photo of a croc swimming in Smiths Creek, Cairns this week, near the Parramatta State School.
“Watch your step – one was resting on the footpath. Take care,” she said.
A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said they had not received any recent reports about crocodiles sighted at Lake Eacham or in Smiths Creek.
“Members of the public are encouraged to report crocodile sightings as soon as possible, by calling 1300 130 372,” the spokesman said. “DES investigates all reports it receives.”
Looking at images from the recent sightings, the spokesman said the crocodile reportedly in Lake Eacham was a freshwater crocodile.
But the crocodile reportedly in Smiths Creek, he said, was an estuarine crocodile.
“Under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan, Smith Creek is within Zone A (Barrier and Removal Zone),” he said.
“This means that any estuarine crocodile is targeted for removal, regardless of size or behaviour.
“Smiths Creek is known croc country and people in the area are reminded to always be ‘crocwise’.”