Australia’s Northern Territory sees a crocodile, and croc threat, revival

World Today

Australia’s Northern Territory is figuring out a way to co-exist with a deadly predator. The crocodile population has returned from near-extinction, after hunting was outlawed in the 1970s, but as the animal’s numbers have increased, so has the danger to residents.

CCTV’s Greg Navarro reports from Darwin, Australia.

Some argue that crocodile hunting should be reintroduced.

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“If we were to reintroduce croc hunting and get back to the numbers that were considered safe back in the early 80s we’d probably have to wipe out over 100,000 animals and no one wants to do that, that’s going to take them back to extinction again,” said Mark Crummy of the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Culling crocodiles again could also lull people into a false sense of security, experts added.

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“If you reduce the population by 50 percent, whose going to say its safe to go back into the water? Nobody,” Professor Grahame Webb of Crocodylus Park said.

The territory has created a public service campaign educating people to be crocodile aware. A catch and release program was also implemented. Last year about 200 crocodiles were pulled from Darwin’s harbor.