A huge crocodile that is believed to have killed a tourist in front of his wife and children has been shot dead by park rangers.
The family from New South Wales were on a caravan tour through Far North Queensland and fishing near the Annan River bridge, south of Cooktown, just after 2pm on Saturday when the 40-year-old man disappeared.
He was reportedly dragged underwater by the reptile. Local police said the man’s wife and children were traumatized after witnessing the horrific attack.
Now the 4.9 metre crocodile believed responsible for the attack has been shot dead by Queensland park rangers.
Authorities confirmed the saltwater crocodile was found about 4km upstream from where the man was taken – known to locals as Crocodile Bend – and was euthanised at around 2pm on Monday. The Cairns Post reported.
The reptile is now being handed over to the police and the contents of its stomach are being examined.
A team consisting of police, rangers and SES had resumed their work search for the man at 7am on monday.
“We’re patrolling the riverbank. There’s quite a large area, about 5km of waterway, it’s tidal,” Cooktown police sergeant-at-arms Greg Finucane said on Sunday.
A man was attacked by a crocodile in front of his wife and children near Cooktown on Saturday afternoon. A baited crocodile trap is set in the water on Sunday
Locals warned tourists not to fish near the bridge (pictured), as the deep riverbanks in the area would make it difficult to escape an attack.
‘It is influenced by the current, the weather and the natural movement and habitat of crocodiles.’
Police have not confirmed where in NSW the family is from or how old the victim’s children are.
The fishing spot, where the man was probably dragged away by the crocodile, is a known habitat for the reptiles.
A Cooktown resident claimed the crocodile associated humans with food because locals fed it roadkill further upstream.
“People throw a dead animal in the water for it to eat and it could have been sitting there 15 feet under water waiting for a meal,” a Cooktown resident told the Cairns Message.
‘We’ve had a little rain, so the bank is soft. Even if he wasn’t at the edge, the bank could still go under him.
“It’s just terrible and everyone is with the family. It’s unthinkable to see something like this happen before your eyes.”
Police declined to comment on suspicions that people in the area were feeding crocodiles.
“While the circumstances of this case have not yet been confirmed, we remind everyone that Cooktown is known as ‘Croc Country’ and urge everyone to be safe by practicing ‘CrocWise’ behaviour,” a spokesperson for the Queensland Department of the Environment said.
Crocodile Bend is known as a hotspot for crocodiles.
Local resident Bart Harrison urged tourists to find a safer place to fish, warning that the steep banks would make it difficult to escape an attack.
“At low tide you can easily see a large crocodile lying on the bank opposite you,” Mr Harrison said.
“There are a lot of people taking pictures and things like that of themselves while they’re sitting there.”
The 4.9 metre crocodile believed to be responsible for the attack has been shot dead by Queensland park rangers