Terri Irwin says crocodile education more effective than killing after latest croc death
Wildlife activist Terri Irwin has spoken out about the shooting of a large crocodile in Lake Placid, saying the reptile presented little danger to humans and more to local designer dogs.
Irwin, the owner of Australia Zoo, said the croc that was killed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources sharpshooters died unnecessarily.
“We’ve potentially saved a chihuahua somewhere, so that’s awesome,” an angry Irwin said, according to News Corp.
“It was reported as being about two metres long, so that’s certainly not life-threatening for something a person’s size,” she continued.
Australia Zoo’s partnership study with the University of Queensland has shown that crocodiles have the ability to hold their breath for almost eight hours.
The research also revealed that they travel up to 60km in a single day and can travel around 1500km during a single trip, reports News Corp.
Irwin maintains that with this information, continued education about the dangers that exist within crocodile territories would be more effective in saving human life than a catch-and-kill policy.
“If you take one crocodile out, you can guarantee there’s another one in there with it,” Irwin said.
“I’ve had my kids around crocodiles since they were months old and I don’t worry about them at all.”
Irwin maintains that tidal crossings are the most dangerous areas for humans and the most likely place for a croc attack.
“Simply stay well back from the water’s edge and you will always be safe with crocodiles," she said.
7 News Online has contacted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for comment.
According to their website, the Department enforces the following policy: “Under the current Queensland Crocodile Management Plan (QCMP), any crocodile greater than 2 metres in length or displaying aggressive behavior is automatically targeted for removal.”
“People are also reminded that anyone who deliberately interferes with the operation of a crocodile trap could face penalties of up to $15,000. “
In July local resident Jessica Young was out for a walk with her sister when they saw what they believed to be a crocodile measuring under two metres.
It was sunning itself on a rock along the creek when Ms Young managed to take a snap of the reptile.
However, Ms Young did not want to identify its exact location for fear it might be killed by authorities.
Like Terri Irwin, she said she was outraged by the killing of the other crocodile earlier in the year.
“I just thought, ‘how could they have done this?’ ” she told News Corp.
“I grew up in Cairns, I’ve lived here for 23 years, and it’s just never occurred to me to kill a native animal.”
Ms Young said she was surprised to find a second crocodile in the creek but later realised its proximity to the Barron River, a well-known and popular habitat for crocodiles.
