'Shocking and extremely dangerous stunt': Ten-foot crocodile beheaded after it was removed from trap and dragged behind car
DARWIN, AUSTRALIA: A massive saltwater crocodile has been found beheaded and dumped by the side of the road in Darwin’s rural area. The 10-foot reptile was reportedly maimed after being removed from an underwater trap off Gunn Point Road at Howard Springs.
The Northern Territories' Parks and Wildlife Department has launched an investigation into the matter and described it as a “shocking and extremely dangerous" stunt. The officials believe that the incident took place after 4:30 pm on Sunday, February 5. "The crocodile management team received a report of a dead crocodile on the side of the road and were shocked at what they found," the department's chief wildlife officer, Peter Ross, told ABC News.
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How the crocodile was beheaded
"The trap has been dragged out of the water, the crocodile removed, then dragged behind a vehicle and beheaded at some point," he explained, adding, "Not only is it illegal to interfere with a crocodile; it is extremely dangerous.”
Rangers are currently looking for the perpetrators, who may be fined up to $81,000 ($56,114) or imprisoned for a maximum of five years.
Hundreds of crocodiles get trapped often by the Northern Territories Wildlife Department as part of their relocation efforts. The department runs a crocodile management strategy that sees hundreds of crocodiles moved around every year. The department is also taking extreme security measures to secure the rare species of saltwater crocodiles. The number of "salties", which can grow up to seven meters long and weigh more than a tonne, has exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s.
Gigantic crocodile killed by someone who dislikes reptiles
In a similar incident, another gigantic crocodile was found beheaded in Northern Territory. The reptile was found by an unidentified individual at Crystal Rapids in Katherine on August 14, 2019. At that time, crocodile expert Adam Britton from Charles Darwin University told Yahoo News that the head and tail were cut off with a knife. “I've seen this kind of thing a lot over the years,” Britton said. “Occasionally people will find a dead crocodile and souvenir the skull, but often the animal was deliberately or accidentally killed (for example by drowning in a net).” The expert added that it's possible the crocodile was beheaded by someone who dislikes reptiles.
“Whatever the reason, they thought the head would make a nice souvenir on the veranda, which is illegal without a permit and risky business because word has a habit of spreading,” Britton said. "There aren't many genuine reasons why you'd cut the tail tip-off and leave it either, maybe they changed their mind about throwing it on the barbecue? It's hard to imagine that anyone would pay to trophy hunt a freshie - they're about as challenging to shoot as a rock, and hardly an impressive boast.”