Sydney - Authorities in Australia have
caught a saltwater crocodile measuring almost 5 metres (16.4
ft), one of the biggest on record, to stop it from reaching a
populated area, the Department of Tourism said on Tuesday.
Weighing up to 600 kg (1,322 lb), the 60-year old crocodile
is the biggest ever removed from the Katherine River in the
remote Northern Territory.
It was moved to live out its days at a crocodile farm.
The largest crocodile ever captured in Australia measured
6.4 metres, according to records. It was caught and killed in
1974, also in the Northern Territory.
A large crocodile is bound on a trailer after it was captured near Katherine, Australia. Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife said it had trapped the 600-kilogram (1 300-pound) reptile only 30 kilometres (19 miles) downstream from Katherine Gorge, a major tourist attraction. Picture: NT Department of Tourism and Culture via AP
Rangers caught the 4.7 metre (15.4 feet) male crocodile 60
km (37 miles) downstream from the town of Katherine, on Monday
after sedating it, media reported. They had been hunting it
since they first spotted it in 2010.
"He was removed downstream from Katherine to help prevent
human interaction in the more populated areas," said Tracey
Duldig, acting director of the Department of Tourism and
Culture.
"He has been taken to a croc farm in the Katherine region."
Known for its exotic and sometimes dangerous wildlife such
as sharks and Tasmanian devils, Australia is home to over
150,000 crocodiles.
Authorities routinely move them away from people.
In 2017, 371 crocodiles were captured by rangers in the
Northern Territory cities of Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine
alone, according to the department's website. This year, 190
have been captured.