Rangers kill crocodile that had killed child
A child is swimming in the Northern Territory of Australia when it is fatally attacked by a crocodile. Rangers then hunt down the responsible reptile and kill it. Now, its carcass has been found.
After the fatal crocodile attack on a child in Australia, rangers have killed the responsible animal. The 4.2-meter long reptile was reportedly spotted over the weekend. With the permission of the indigenous landowners, it was shot, according to the Northern Territory Police. However, the carcass was only found floating on the water's surface recently.
The authorities confirmed that it was indeed the crocodile that attacked the 12-year-old girl in a waterway a week ago. The girl had been swimming near the Aborigine community of Nganmarriyanga, about 360 kilometers southwest of the territorial capital Darwin. Immediately, there were fears that she could have become a crocodile's victim. After an extensive search operation involving boats and helicopters, search teams discovered the girl's remains on the previous Thursday, two days after the incident.
The Northern Territory government chief, Eva Lawler, expressed her condolences to the family in a statement to the Australian news outlet ABC News. "I'm glad that the large crocodile was found, and hopefully this will provide some relief to the family following this heart-wrenching incident." According to her statement, two other crocodiles were also spotted during the hunt.
According to government figures, over 100,000 saltwater crocodiles live in the Northern Territory - more than in any other Australian state. The up to six-meter long reptiles, also known as "Salties," are extremely aggressive. In this region, there are also freshwater crocodiles ("Freshies"), which are less dangerous. On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks in the entire country each year.
The crocodile responsible for the attack was originally from the vast population of over 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory, known for having the highest concentration globally. The authorities hoped that finding and eliminating this international reptile species from Australia would reduce risks for other swimmers and wildlife.
