Killer Croc exposed
Killer croc exposed
By JOHN ANDERSEN
20sep05
RANGERS believe that an aggressive crocodile being held in a special holding centre in Townsville could be the animal which dragged Townsville man Barry Jefferies from his canoe in the Lakefield National Park last month.
It was believed the reptile was lured to the side of Mr Jefferies' canoe as a baited fishing line was reeled in.
The reptile lunged at Mr Jefferies, who tried to fight it off using a paddle, but it grabbed his arm, capsized the canoe and disappeared into the waterhole.
Mr Jefferies' wife Glenda managed to swim ashore and when she couldn't see her husband drove 20 minutes to the nearest ranger station to raise the alarm.
Apart from a bone fragment and items of clothing, Mr Jefferies' body was never retrieved from the Cape York Peninsula waterhole where he disappeared.
The 5m estuarine crocodile was trapped after it displayed bold and aggressive behaviour towards rangers and police searching for Mr Jefferies' body after the August 20 attack.
Another crocodile originally believed to have been the one which attacked Mr Jefferies was shot in the waterhole soon after his disappearance. It was cleared when its stomach was found to contain only the partly digested remains of a wallaby.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior conservation officer Dr Mark Read said the 5m crocodile was trapped after it displayed threatening behaviour towards rangers working in dinghies. "It was giving us a hard time and was not going to back down. It was being bold and beautiful and was too dangerous to leave in the waterhole," Dr Read said.
Townsville ranger Scott Sullivan who is caring for the crocodile in a pen at the QPWS's Pallarenda headquarters said the animal would not eat and was spending most of its time under water. This was common behaviour for crocodiles subjected to captivity after being caught in the wild.
Mr Sullivan said the croc would be relocated to a zoo or crocodile farm at a later date.
Mr Jefferies' death has intensified the long-running debate over whether crocodiles should be culled.
Queensland Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg has pushed for croc culling, arguing it is vital to avoid further deaths.
But famous crocodile hunter Steve Irwin said culling could hurt the region's ecological balance.
Queensland's Environment Minister Desley Boyle said a crocodile cull would only lure people into a false sense of security.
Quote:Another crocodile originally believed to have been the one which attacked Mr Jefferies was shot in the waterhole soon after his disappearance. It was cleared when its stomach was found to contain only the partly digested remains of a wallaby.
This croc had no reason to die.
This still doesn't prove that this second croc killed the guy.
The face of nature reflects all of life's ups and downs.
Re: Killer Croc exposedQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior conservation officer Dr Mark Read said the 5m crocodile was trapped after it displayed threatening behaviour towards rangers working in dinghies. "It was giving us a hard time and was not going to back down. It was being bold and beautiful and was too dangerous to leave in the waterhole," Dr Read said
I thought this one was re-located, not killed.
There is noroof that this is a 'killer croc', that's for sure.
I thought the same thing-O they found a bone fragment???
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