Latest news with #crocodiles
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Couple slammed for letting kids play dangerously close to crocodile infested waters in Darwin
A couple has come under fire online after posting a video showing their children playing dangerously close to waters known to be inhabited by saltwater crocodiles. The footage was taken at the Mangrove Boardwalk, a raised aluminium walkway about 10 minutes from Darwin, which runs directly through crocodile territory. While the boardwalk is elevated and appears safe, the video shows one of the children standing on the guard rail, leaning over the edge and peering into the water. Viewers were quick to point out the serious risk. 'Wouldn't have your kid hanging over the edge like that, crocodile food,' one person commented. 'Some saltwater crocodiles are capable of leaping up to two meters,' another viewer warned. 'I wouldn't let my children hang over the rails. Have you seen how high crocodiles jump?' added another. The City of Darwin has previously warned that while the Mangrove Boardwalk is a popular attraction, the wildlife must be respected. 'Any body of water in the Top End, including Darwin Harbour, may contain large and potentially dangerous crocodiles,' a spokesperson said. 'People are advised to be crocwise and adhere to crocwise warnings at all times.' The boardwalk is designed to accommodate tidal flow, with signs warning that water levels can vary, but that hasn't stopped some visitors from underestimating the risks. Crocodiles aren't the only threat in the area. The waters around the boardwalk are also home to the world's most venomous animal, the box jellyfish, which can kill a child in minutes if enough tentacles make contact. While crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory are relatively rare, they do happen. Between 1979 and 2022, there were 76 recorded attacks, 30 per cent of them fatal. The region is home to an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles.
ABC News
16 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Hughenden's freshwater crocodile Houdini has found a friend, locals say
Locals in a small north Queensland town say resident crocodile Houdini has found himself a friend. High school captain Lake McDonald believes pictures he has taken prove there are now two freshwater crocodiles living in Hughenden's lake. "We got out of the car, as and we got closer to the lake I noticed [the new crocodile] was smaller than what we'd seen before," the 17-year-old said. "I'd taken some photos [of both] and they do not look the same in person at all." For months Hughenden locals have been adjusting to life with their first reptilian resident. "We saw the first earlier this year when we had our school's cross-country race around the lake," Lake said. Freshwater crocodiles are endemic to northern Australia and are commonly found in river systems north of the Tropic of Capricorn. They differ in size, temperament and snout shape to saltwater crocodiles. Sightings of a second freshwater crocodile in the Hughenden Recreational Lake began after significant rain in March, according to Flinders Shire Mayor Kate Peddle. "We have not one, but two crocodiles now," she said. "There's a lot of comparisons going on at the moment — counting the scales and looking at the necks and how thick they are. "We're not sure entirely how long he or she has been in there, but we suspect it potentially has come down through the rain." Both of Hughenden's resident "freshies" will stay in place as the council examines ways to coexist with them in peace. Cr Peddle said officers from the Department of Environment, Science, Tourism, Science and Innovation advised that the crocodiles could not be relocated because they were a protected species. There is no human fatality caused by a freshwater crocodile on record, but in 2022, a woman was left with a laceration to her arm after she was bitten while canoeing with her family in the Ross River, near Townsville. Cr Peddle said the council would consult with the community about whether they would like to see precautionary signs put up at the lake. Hughenden resident Zeena Lauder thought that was important. "It is a good idea, especially for tourists who are unaware," she said. "I am concerned that one could be a girl and one could be a boy, which could cause an issue." Lake said he felt comfortable with the crocodiles around.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Why this picture of a father and son peacefully fishing on a quiet river has Aussies up in arms
Photos of a father and his young son fishing on the bank of a crocodile infested lake have sparked outrage on social media. The pair were pictured fishing at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu, in the Northern Territory, this week. Karen Beckham caught them casually standing within inches of the water and mere metres away from signs warning tourists of the danger they were in. Ms Beckham shared the photos on Facebook in an attempt to caution others not to do the same. 'And the parent the year award goes to? This dude,' she wrote. 'Poor child would have no idea about crocodile danger.' Others debated in the comment section of Ms Beckham's post about how much danger the two were really in. Crocodile experts have also taken note of the photos and urged people to be more careful in the area. Matt Cornish, co-founder of Community Representation of Crocodiles, said complacency can be a killer around dangerous predators. 'Cahills Crossing is considered to be a high-risk crocodile location where people need to be extremely vigilant,' he told Yahoo News. 'We have had crocodile fatalities there over the last couple of decades.' The stretch of the river where the photo was taken is a popular fishing area despite the risks it poses. Signs in the area attempt to warn tourists and locals to remain vigilant at all times due to the fatal attacks which have happened in previous years. 'Do not risk your life,' one sign reads. 'A fatal crocodile attack occurred here.' Even with signs like these people are still seen fishing on the bank quite frequently. Those who commented on Ms Beckham's post went back and forth with some defending the father while others similarly condemned him. 'Looks to be a reasonable distance off the water from the photo,' one person wrote. 'Doesn't look that bad. They'll be right,' another said. 'Disaster just waiting to happen parents should have informed them crocks are about and no swimming parent's failed,' a third added. 'Cahills Crossing, more Crocs there than the rest of Australia,' a fourth wrote. Anyone who visits the area has been advised to ensure they are up to date with the latest Croc Wise advise. Ensuring that fish and other food is kept away from the water's edge and remaining alert at all time is essential. Crocodiles can move so fast however that it is often impossible for people to react fast enough to escape their attack.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Queensland crocodile cull plan supported by some councils, slammed by conservationists
On George Adil's cane farm in Far North Queensland, the day-to-day of life and work keeps him busy. It means he doesn't always have time to be vigilant of crocodiles on his Mareeba property, inland of Cairns, especially when he has to get into the river to service his irrigation equipment and pump by hand. "It is definitely worrying when you have to get into the river," he says. "I'm focused on farming, and I'm focused on the next problem." He believes saltwater crocodiles have been an increasing problem since a major flood in 2000, now leading a petition to expand an existing crocodile removal zone. He says, aside from the impact on his farming, he and his family have also had to stop swimming in the Barron River. Mr Adil is supportive of a proposed bill, which would allow crocodile culls and removals in populated areas. But says decisions about the management of the species should be made by those who live in crocodile country. The proposed legislation from Katter's Australian Party, which would also allow Indigenous groups to run safari-style hunting trips, is currently being examined by a Queensland parliamentary inquiry. At a public hearing held in Brisbane today, it received support from some local councils, who say more needs to be done. Speaking at a public hearing into the bill on Wednesday, Mareeba Shire deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said Mr Adil was far from alone in his frustration with crocodiles. She says it was taking to long to remove crocodiles or obtain the permits needed to move them — including within an existing special zone "F" where saltwater crocodiles are already removed upon sighting. Councillor Wyatt says in one case a farmer had contacted the state environment department in January about a large crocodile in his dam, but had yet to have it removed in June. She says this slow response time highlighted an "urgent need for reform". Councillor Wyatt told the committee it's believed crocodiles had not been native to the area, and instead had ended up in the area's waterways in the 1990s after escaping a crocodile farm. She said this made it a "unique" situation, and was urgently calling for more to be done regarding crocodile management. "We're not asking for crocodile eradication, but we are asking for a more responsive and place-based approach to crocodile management," she said. Crocodiles were hunted to the brink of extinction in Queensland prior to the 1970s. Saltwater crocodiles are currently considered a threatened species and are protected. The Department of Environment estimates there are between 20,000 and 30,000 salt and freshwater crocodiles in Queensland waterways. Further south, the Whitsundays Regional Council says it's also dealing with growing crocodile populations. The Proserpine River has the largest population of saltwater crocodiles along the east coast. It's also supportive of the bill and moves to address numbers, and to make it easier to get permits to move crocodiles. "Crocodiles are an important tourist attraction for the Whitsundays," council's natural resource management and climate manager Scott Hardy told the committee. "They can also be a hazard as well." He says crocodiles are regularly sighted offshore at Airlie Beach as well as occasionally off Whitsunday Islands, and a growing population in popular tourist locations is causing concern over the risk of "inevitable" crocodile interactions with tourists and residents. Like in Mareeba, Mr Hardy says council is struggling to relocate crocodiles due to the length of time it takes to obtain permits to do so. He is also supportive of a better way to record crocodile sightings, such as by using a QR code, and is calling for better education and more frequent surveys. Meanwhile, conservationists including Bob Irwin and the Environmental Defenders' Office (EDO) appeared at the inquiry to speak in opposition of the bill. Mr Irwin, who founded what would go on to become Australia Zoo, said he'd been working with crocodiles in the wild and captivity for more than four decades. He said over that time he and his son Steve had worked hard to get into their heads and understand them. Mr Irwin said he was "frustrated" to once again hear calls for crocodile culling, describing it as a "pointless exercise". He told the committee he was concerned that as large crocodiles were extremely territorial, killing one or removing it would simply lead to smaller ones, with potentially worse behaviour, replacing them. Mr Irwin said he wasn't against moving crocodiles away from areas where people exercised their dogs or from waterways near a boat ramp, but said he remained concerned about crocodiles returning to their own territory. He also called for more education, saying most deaths around crocodiles occurred due to human recklessness and was scathing of people who filmed themselves getting close to crocodiles. For Queensland premier David Crisafulli, it was human safety which had to come "first absolutely". "I'll always say that. We also have to balance good environmental outcomes and that's why everyone should have their say on this bill," he said on Wednesday. The committee will deliver its final report in August.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- ABC News
How do you stay safe in crocodile country?
Up to 30,000 crocodiles are estimated to live in Queensland waterways — and just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. So, how do you stay safe in crocodile country?
