The 4.7 metre crocodile – the largest saltwater to be caught by Northern Territory rangers this year – has been found near a popular swimming hole. It took five rangers to pull the 4.7m crocodile from a permanent trap at Berry Springs, about 50km south of Darwin. The area was closed to swimmers at the end of last month due to high levels of E.coli and enterococci.
“This is the largest crocodile we’ve removed from the area in the last four years,” Parks and Wildlife senior ranger Tom Nichols said.
“It is also the largest crocodile we’ve removed from any of our traps in 2009.”
Charlie Manolis, chief scientist at Darwin’s Crocodylus Park, said swimmers should not be overly concerned. “That area is intensively trapped to ensure that crocs don’t get all the way up into the area where people do swim,” Mr Manolis reportedly told ABC Radio.
“It’s certainly not unusual to have these big crocs moving around at this time of year while they’re out looking for girlfriends. Mr Manolis said the animal would be taken to a crocodile farm and put into “forced monogamy for captive breeding”.
Barnacles on the crocodile’s back suggested it had been in areas of high salinity.
“He’s probably been moving; who knows, he might have swum down from Timor. These animals can move long distances in relatively short times.”