Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
Mackay Daily Mercury
JULY 31, 2018
Madura McCormack
A BURDEKIN farmer’s encounter with a shredded headless crocodile has renewed calls for a cull in North Queensland.
The 1.5m headless freshwater croc was found hanging from an irrigation pump after being sucked in about a month ago.
The Burdekin farmer, who chose to remain anonymous, said he had found chunks of crocodile “swirling around” his pumps before but never one that was nearly whole.
“What happened was it swirled around in the intake and as it got sucked in, its head separated from its body I suppose,” he said.
“We’ve got some here that are a couple of metres … the one that suns himself is about 3m.
A crocodile trap was set my the Department of Environment and Science near the entrance to the Breakwater off the Strand in January. Source: Townsville Bulletin
Freshwater crocs are being forced out of the estuaries of the Burdekin because the bigger crocodiles are territorial … and push the smaller ones further upstream.”
The farmer said he knew there were at least four freshwater and one saltwater crocodile on his property along the Burdekin River.
The farmer said he may have to take matters into his own hands if nothing changes.
“It’s like all wild creatures, the human race needs to work out whether they can co-habitat with them or not, and there are places where you can and there are places where you can’t,” he said.
The farmer said he knew there were at least four freshwater and one saltwater crocodile on his property along the Burdekin River. File picture Source: Supplied
“The simple answer is that you cull the crocodiles downstream, then the next generation won’t be forced upstream.
“If it means the difference between the life of a crocodile and the life of employee, then unfortunately the crocodile will lose its life.”
The find comes as a parliamentary committee continues to work on a proposed crocodile management plan put forward by Katter’s Australian Party MP Shane Knuth.
The Safer Waterways Bill seeks to install an authority to manage crocs and ensure any croc in freshwater, public boat ramps, or public places is removed within 48 hours.
Burdekin MP Dale Last said crocodile incursions had already made a real world impact in the falling number of nippers joining Surf Life Saving Clubs in his electorate.
“They’ve done enough croc counts, there needs to be some concrete action,” he said.
Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan, who is on that committee, said crocodiles were “breeding like rabbits” and needed to be controlled.
