Community Lived in Fear of Crocodile

The remote community of Palumpa located in the Daly River Reserve (Northern Territory, Australia), can breathe a sigh of relief after local wildlife rangers and police officers trapped and shot a four and a half metre long Saltwater crocodile that had been threatening to attack school children.

Saltwater Crocodile

The crocodile, the second four metre plus specimen to be captured in the Northern Territory this week, was trapped and shot at a small billabong on the outskirts of the town.  Locals had reported that the crocodile had been in the area for about two years and it sometimes took up residence at a river causeway crossing used by children on their way to school.

Having to dodge the attentions of a large predator, getting on for fifteen feet in length would have been enough to deter all but the most determined scholar.  Unfortunately, attacks by Saltwater crocodiles (sometimes also referred to as Estuarine crocodiles), are becoming increasingly common in the Northern Territory as the crocodile population continues to increase after the imposition of a hunting ban some forty years ago.

The Difference Between a Crocodile and an Alligator

Crocodile (top) and Alligator (bottom).

A Call to Reinstate Hunting of Crocodiles

A number of Government officials have called for a reinstating of the permit system to hunt crocodiles, others favour a formal crocodile cull to reduce the threat of crocodile attacks.  For the school children at the small community of Palumpa, some 150 miles south-west of Darwin, their daily school run just got a little safer.

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