In the remote community of Noise, in the Northern Territory of Australiaa crocodile 3.6 meter salt water was shot dead by the police after It will devour pets and frighten children. After the hunt, Residents chose to honor tradition and transformed the predator into a community feast.
The constant threat of the reptile was perceived as serious by local authorities. According to a statement from the Northern Territory Policethe crocodile “had been stalking and lunging out of the water at children and adults, in addition to having taken several dogs from the community.” Following a risk assessment, the decision was made to dispose of the animal.
The same police confirmed that the crocodile was prepared for a feast in the traditional way. In statements to the media ABC NewsNorthern Territory Sgt. Andrew McBrideexplained: “The animal was cooked in soup, another part on the barbecue and other pieces were wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground.”
Community took advantage of the situation to organize a “crocodile safety session” for children in which the dangers within the waterways were explained, according to the police.
The saltwater crocodile species, along with the freshwater one, has been protected by federal law in Australia since 1971, after a period of poaching that almost led them to extinction. Currently, it is estimated that only in the Northern Territory around 100,000 crocodiles live. “Any body of water here may contain large and potentially dangerous crocodiles“, he claimed Kristen Haywildlife specialist, in the same statement from security agents.
In recent years, encounters between crocodiles and humans have been fatal on several occasions in Australia. In April, a 16-year-old boy died in northern Queensland while trying to swim to shore.and in 2023, the remains of a 64-year-old fisherman were found inside a crocodile in the same region.
According to ABC NewsSergeant McBride detailed the preparation of the crocodile as part of a traditional feast: “It was a pretty big traditional party and there were some full stomachs”.
The community chose work together to eliminate the risk that the crocodile posedto do so he followed the consultation regulations with traditional owners and Parks and Wildlife rangers.
The commander Kylie Anderson He stated in the police statement: “Crocodiles can pose a significant risk to community safety”. He also praised the collaboration between officers and residents in taking safe measures. The collaboration included a balanced approach between education and tradition.
The Northern Territory Government uses a special, “risk-based strategic management” approach to determine the level of management activity for these crocodiles. The growing population of crocodiles has led them to invade areas where they were not normally seena phenomenon attributed to recent flooding. “Crocodiles are showing up in places you wouldn’t normally see them,” said Sergeant McBride. The authorities understand that it is due to the large amount of water in the areawhich pushed them to “random” places.
With an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory, The government announced this year an increase in the number allowed to be slaughteredfrom 300 to 1200 in the Top End waterways.
This measure seeks to more effectively manage the population and reduce the risks of dangerous encounters between crocodiles and the community. As it was on this occasion, in which he went from being a threat to being eaten.
