Crocodile at resort too close for comfort

A four-metre saltwater crocodile caught at an East Kimberley tourist resort last week had the potential to be a man-eater, according to a local crocodile expert.

Wyndham Crocodile Farm manager Chris Lim said the crocodile had been terrorising caretakers at the Parry Creek Farm Resort, about 17km south of Wyndham, for the past two weeks.

He said the reptile had the potential to cause serious injury or death if it had managed to get close to a human.

"It would definitely have the ability to grab you and kill you and take sections off you, definitely," he said.

Mr Lim and Department of Environment and Conservation officers set a trap for the reptile last week after initial efforts to spotlight and harpoon it were unsuccessful.

He said the crocodile had probably travelled from the Cambridge Gulf into the nearby Parry Creek lagoon system looking for food and new territory.

Parry Creek Farm Resort caretaker Gary Smith said knowing the crocodile was in the resort's billabong was nerve-racking.

"Every time you walked outside on the grass you had to look to see if he was there. We definitely couldn't go too close to the water," he said.

"I've got a couple of dogs out here and we had to keep an eye on the dogs and an eye on the water and anyone else who decided to come out."

Mr Smith said the crocodile was first spotted lying on a causeway between the restaurant and the resort's accommodation units about two weeks ago and had continued to appear nightly before being trapped last Wednesday.

Mr Lim said it had taken three men to hold the crocodile while it was harnessed and blindfolded.