NT crocodile attack: capsizing boat 'extremely unusual', says expert

Ordeal which saw one man drown and another fight off reptiles for three hours also a reminder of which boats are safe to take into crocodile-infested waters

Australian Associated Press

Wednesday 18 May 201604.52 BST

Last modified on Wednesday 18 May 201606.23 BST

  

An expert says the attack in which a crocodile overturned a boat in the Northern Territory, killing one man and a putting another through terrifying ordeal, is an extremely unusual event.

Noel Ramage, 75, drowned, leaving his 72-year-old mate to fight off crocodiles for three hours after the men’s tinny turned over at Leaders Creek, 40km fromDarwin, on Tuesday afternoon.

The survivor threw spanners and spark plugs at approaching crocodiles and was trapped in muddy mangroves before being rescued and taken to hospital suffering shock. He has been released and the body has been recovered.

Adam Britton, a researcher at Charles Darwin University, said he’d never heard of such an attack before, although the crocodile may have been attracted by the men’s crab pots. He suggested the men could have panicked, causing the boat to capsize.

Britton also said Northern Territory authorities needed to remind people which boats were safe to take out into crocodile-infested waters.

“Perhaps one of the precautions that needs to be added to that list is to be extremely cautious if you take out a small unstable tinny,” he said.

“Having said that, it is still a highly bizarre situation and extremely unlikely.

Continued ...

Crocodile victim says he’s ‘a bit sore’ after Northern Territory attack

Camper Peter Rowsell says the crocodile came through a hole in his tent, which was just 15 metres from the water’s edge

Helen Davidson in Darwin

Tuesday 26 April 201604.53 BST

A 19-year-old man says he’s “still a bit sore” after he was attacked by a crocodile while sleeping in a tent in Australia’s Northern Territory on Monday.

Peter Rowsell had been camping with family near a creek in the Daly region, about two hours’ drive from Katherine, on the Anzac Day long weekend.

Roswell told the ABC the crocodile came through a hole in his mosquito shelter tent, which was pitched just 15 metres from the water’s edge.

“It was about 4.30 in the morning and I was sleeping ... and then I woke up and there was something shaking my foot,” he said. “It was about three or four metres long.”

Rowsell said the crocodile was holding on to his leg but didn’t drag him out of the tent. “It was on my foot for like 10 or 15 seconds but it let go after I whacked it once or twice,” he said.

Rowsell’s sister and her partner – who were sleeping in the back of a ute tray – woke to his yells and drove him to hospital. He was kept in overnight and received treatment for non-life threatening puncture wounds to his right leg. He was also put on an antibiotics drip to counter the bacteria in crocodiles’ mouths.

He was doing well and was expected to go home on Tuesday afternoon, Louise Harwood, the director of medical services at Katherine hospital, told media.

Harwood said Rowsell had puncture wounds to both his feet and that his injuries were consistent with his report that a crocodile had attacked him. “It’s not really possible to say from the marks he has the size of the crocodile,” she added.

Continued ...

Northern Territory removes 290 saltwater crocodiles from waterways in a year

Residents are warned to take more care as 2015’s figure is announced – it’s a high one, based on recent years, although not a record

Helen Davidson in Darwin

Friday 1 January 2016 07.29 GMTLast modified on Friday 1 January 201607.31 GMT

Wildlife rangers pulled almost 300 saltwater crocodiles from Northern Territory waterways in 2015, more than in either of the two previous years.

As part of its population management program, the Parks and Wildlife Commission NT (PWCNT) removed 290 crocodiles of various sizes from NT rivers, harbours and waterholes, the largest measuring 4.38m from the Daly River.

Two crocodiles which were smaller than two metres were pulled from Shoal Bay on Thursday.

The figure is slightly about 2014’s 287 and well beyond the previous year’s 226. The highest number of crocodiles removed by PWCNT staff was 318 in 2012.

Rangers use a combination of baited traps and boats custom-fitted with harpoon racks, slides, a self draining deck and side rails to catch the “problem animals”.

All crocodiles are caught alive, and taken to the NT’s crocodile farms, which pay a “nominal fee” to the government based on size and weight, and “can do what they like with them,” PWCNT wildlife ranger Tom Nichols told Guardian Australia.

Continued ...

Crocodile Victim Sean Cole's Body Recovered

The body of a man who was snatched by a large crocodile in the north of Australia has now been recovered.

IT worker Sean Cole, 26, was taken on Saturday in front of at least 15 onlookers as he swam with a friend across a muddy river that has one of the highest densities of saltwater crocodiles in the world.

He had been celebrating his friend’s 30th birthday at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat when the pair decided to take a swim in the croc-infested water, about 68 miles (110km) from the city of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Northern Territory Police senior constable Wade Rodgers said his body was found early on Monday in the area where he was last seen.

"Our thoughts are with the family during this very difficult time," he said.

Mr Cole’s friend survived.

Witnesses had recounted seeing the animal, believed to be nearly five metres (16 feet) long, swimming upriver with his body in its jaws.

The Northern Territory News said a survey three weeks ago recorded four crocodiles over four metres in the area and 10 to 12 measuring more than three metres.

Continued

Fisherman, 29, escapes crocodile who had clamped its jaws around his HEAD by punching until it let go

· Yoann Galeran, 29, ended up with his head between the jaws of a crocodile 

· Jumped into the water in the Northern Territory of Australia at night time 

· Had four puncture wounds on his head and was bleeding as he escaped 

By RICHARD SHEARS

PUBLISHED: 08:47, 22 April 2013 | UPDATED: 14:19, 22 April 2013 

Residents of Australia's tropical north know that you don't go swimming in the sea at night because that's when crocodiles are most dangerous. 

But French fisherman Yoann Galeran didn't know the rules and happily dived into the waters off Arnhem Land - which is why he ended up with his head firmly between the jaws of a saltwater croc. 

It dragged him underwater, with his head locked between its teeth and attempted a death roll in which victims are spun around until they drown. 

At the age of 29, however, Mr Galeran wasn't ready to die just yet and in dark and dangerous waters so far from home. 

'I didn't think about dying - I thought only about fighting to stay alive,' he said back on his boat today after his ordeal. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312804/Crocodile-attack-Fisherman-29-escapes-crocodiles-jaws-clamped-HEAD-punching-it.html#ixzz2SPpcdKYB

Pygmy hippo shot in NT

A PYGMY hippopotamus has been shot dead during a pig hunting expedition in the Territory.

The hippo is normally native to the swamps of west Africa, in particular Liberia.

Instead, this one - estimated to be about 250kg - was shot while roaming the bush of the Douglas Daly, 200km south of Darwin.

This is about 16,000km away from Liberia.

It is believed the female hippo is an old escapee from Tipperary Station, from when it used to be an exotic animal reserve.

This means it has been poking about the Douglas Daly for the past five years.

Nico Courtney, 27, was out spotlighting for pigs with his mate Rusty on a station in the Douglas Daly district on Saturday night.

"It was about 1am and running away from us - from the tail end it just looked like a big pig," the station worker said.

"We got out, had a look at it, and thought 'that's not a pig, it's a hippo'.

"Then we thought 'you don't get hippos in Australia'."

The pair thought it might be a baby hippo - and then naturally started wondering, as they stood in the middle of dark scrub, "where the hell" its mum and dad might be.

Continued:  http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/11/16/101241_ntnews.html

Australia’s Northern Territory planning to allow trophy hunting for crocodiles

Shoot down NT 'trophy hunt' plans
June 2012. When commercial croc hunting was banned in Australia's Northern Territory in 1985, two ex-hunters put down their guns and began taking visitors on tours along the Adelaide River, just east of Darwin, to admire the local residents: crocodiles. Sadly, the crocodiles who so many people travel to the Northern Territory to admire are being threatened with plans of commercial "safari hunts".

The Federal Government is considering a proposal by the Northern Territory Government to trial the commercial hunting of crocodiles. Under the plan the lives of 50 saltwater crocodiles would be essentially sold to the highest bidder for 'thrill kills', every year. While the Northern Territory already has a 'crocodile management' program, opening up this slaughter to amateur shooters exposes these animals to terrible cruelty. There is absolutely no conservation benefit whatsoever to allowing crocodiles to be hunted for trophies, nor is it a way to control 'problem' crocs.

Australia's international reputation is already tarnished by the commercial slaughter of other native animals. Introducing 'safari hunting' of crocodiles would only reinforce the idea that our native animals are there to be shot rather than admired.

Write to Australia's Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke to guarantee that he will not allow 'safari hunting' of crocodiles in the NT. Click here for more details.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/australia-crocodile-hunt.html

NT abused and forgot Cassius the Crocodile, now they want him back

ABUSED and forgotten – that is how the Northern Territory treated the mighty Cassius. And now all of a sudden, they want him back. Forget about it buddies!

Cassius the 5.48m saltwater crocodile, who now happily resides at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, has officially been recognised as being the largest crocodile in captivity.

He will appear in the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records, which will be published in Australia on September 15.

The massive croc has lived in luxury on the resort island for close to 24 years, growing larger each day from a healthy diet of fresh chickens and fish.


However, after reading about the Cairns zoo`s accolade, green-eyed Territorians are now trying to claim Cassius as their own.

Cassius was captured south of Darwin in 1987, and brought about 32000km from the NT to Green Island by kind-hearted Marineland founder George Craig.

"If we can claim sportsmen who spend the first few seconds of their life in the NT, we can put the stamp on Cassius,'' Crocosaurus Cove croc manager Nigel Palmer told the NT News.

Mr Palmer went as far as calling for the NT to buy the croc back.

It's a stunning backflip, according to Marineland Melanesia keeper Toody Scott, who claimed Cassius had been rejected by Territorians, after he was placed in a croc farm - to the point locals allegedly threw stones at the giant reptile.

"They had him hidden away for four years, in a croc farm and the locals apparently didn't take much of a liking to him, because of his reputation,'' Mr Scott said.

"They didn't want him hanging around.

"The farmer at the time, gave George a call and thought George would be able to offer a better home for him in Queensland.''

The Cairns Post and The NT News are going snout-to-snout to determine which region has the biggest, best and baddest crocodiles in Australia.

Readers will be able to compare the best croc tales from the Far North and the Northern Territory, and vote for which region they think is top of the crocs.

Mr Scott said it was plain to see from online comments so far that the Far North Queenslanders had far more respect for nature's magnificent predators.

"All you need to do is look at the comments from the Territorians talking about shooting them and killing them - it's like they don't even want crocs up there,'' he said.

To vote in the FNQ vs NT Croc-Off, head to http://www.cairns.com.au/crocoff

Daniel Bateman

© The Cairns Post

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/08/23/179171_crocoff.html