Hunt is on for the killer of huge Queensland crocodile

A MASSIVE saltwater crocodile — said to be one of the biggest ever seen in Queensland — has been shot dead in Rockhampton.
Police and state environmental officers are investigating after the 5.2m male reptile was found with a bullet in its head in the Fitzroy River on Thursday.
The monster crocodile was taken to the nearby Koorana Crocodile Farm, where it will be buried once a necropsy (an animal autopsy) is carried out.
Farm owner John Leaver said a 5m-long crocodile had not been caught in Queensland for 20 to 30 years.
“There may have been some others shot in the wild that we don’t know about, but from my recollection, over the past three decades this would be the largest,” he told AAP.
The discovery of the crocodile’s body near Alligator Creek has promoted warnings to locals to be more vigilant about the dangers of crocodiles in the area.
It’s believed the crocodile’s death will leave a “position vacant” in the local crocodile pecking order, and young males will become more aggressive as they jostle for the spot.
“People need to clearly understand that the death of this animal has changed the balance of the crocodile population in the Fitzroy and we can expect increased aggressive activity by younger male crocodiles,” Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Conservation and Biodiversity Operations Director Michael Joyce told the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.
“That’s because they will be competing to take the dominant position which is now vacant.

“I cannot stress strongly enough the need for all river users to be aware of the risks and to be Crocwise.”