Big saltie snapped as kids play in river
A SALTWATER crocodile 3- 4m long has been seen at a family hotspot in South Townsville.
At 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon, Mark Bragg from South Townsville took his boat out from the end of Fifth Av- enue at Townsville Recreational Boating Park with his wife and two dogs, to find a sandbank nearby for the dogs to run around on.
He said the ramps were busy, so they had paddled out 100m from the crowds to let their pets run along the creek.
“We were touring around and then we saw him just sitting on the bank,” he said
“He was a big healthy crocodile. I’ve seen a few and he was a big fella.
“I went to take a photo of him and he slid into the water, so we . . . turned the motor off and then he slid back out on the bank and we snapped him.”
Mr Bragg said there were people everywhere at the boat ramps, near where they saw the crocodile.
“Kids were wading in the water, nets were being cast and everything,” he said. “It’s right in the middle of town really.
“I told a few people we had seen the crocodile so a few people moved bank quickly.”
In early July, an even larger crocodile was seen at Alligator Creek, south of Townsville.
On July 7 the Department of Environment and Science reported a crocodile was spotted off Marabou Drive, Annandale in Ross River. Another reptile was reported two days later in the Ross River.
The department says sightings have been rising since 2010. back up the