Fisherman's rare crocodile encounter proves Aussie theory: 'Just huge'
Australian saltwater crocodiles are growing in numbers and physical size. A fisherman's image, taken on the Ord River, shows just how big they can be.
For Rodney Fischer, a large crocodile basking in the sun mere metres from his boat is an all too familiar sight. Especially as the fisherman cruises the Ord River in the Kimberley region of Western Australia where they're known to frequent.
But a recent sighting along the riverbank even surprised him, because it was much bigger than any he was used to seeing. "It had to be 5.3 metres or something, it was a big boy. Anything over five meters is just huge," he told Yahoo News Australia.
Fischer, who lives in the remote region of East Kimberley at the very top of the state, was on the water in a boat with his daughter and her partner at the time. "We just went fishing that day and I spotted it from the other side of the river," he said.
'Big, beautiful croc' captured on camera
A photo taken using a drone shows the sheer size of it compared to that of their boat. At a glance, it appears to be significantly longer than the vessel.
At first, they assumed the predator was roughly four metres — the average male is about 4.2 metres. While female crocodiles tend to be smaller, usually a maximum length of about three or three-and-a-half metres. But a closer look made them "realise how big it really was".
"We'd seen a few that day and I saw that one and thought, 'Oh, that's bigger than four meters'. We cruised over and had a look," he said. "Once we got up near it, we realised how big it was. It's a beautiful big croc — all its limbs attached and the tail tip.
"We saw it a couple of hours later, too, just a bit further along [the river]," he added. "It let us come right up to the edge of the bank, it didn't mind. We were probably about five meters from it."
One of the biggest crocodiles seen in Australia in recent times
At Fischer's estimate of 5.3m, the huge croc is one of the biggest seen anywhere in Australia in recent times. Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife caught a saltwater crocodile in Darwin Harbour in 2018 it said would have been 5.3m long if it wasn't missing 60cm of its tail.
In 2020, Queensland authorities removed a five-metre crocodile from a cane drain close to a swimming area at Babinda near Cairns. Guinness World Records in 2011 said the biggest crocodile in captivity at the time was 5.48m-long Cassius, kept at a wildlife zoo on Green Island, Queensland. Australia's largest known crocodile was 8.64m when it was shot dead on the Norman River in northwest Queensland in 1957.
Hidden danger that 'can and will kill you' in Aussie waterways
Aussies warned of hidden danger as 'amazing' croc vanishes in seconds
Croc death sparks calls for $12,900 fine to combat 'dangerous' act encouraging attacks
Crocodile population growing in line with their physical size
Earlier this year, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) conducted a survey across East Kimberley rivers — including the King, Ord and Berkerly rivers — to examine and "track the recovery of crocodiles" after historical overharvesting. They found crocodile numbers are on the rise and the average size of the predators has also grown.
But the results aren't too surprising says Fischer, especially in the Ord River region. He says the saltwater crocodile population — found in NT, WA and Far North Queensland — is "just getting back to a healthy amount" after becoming protected in the 70s. Before that, crocodiles were regularly killed — and their eggs taken — en masse for their skin.
$800,000 in livestock lost to hungry crocs each year
As for their size, they're often much, much bigger in that river too, mostly due to food supply.
"Here on the Ord River, there's an endless supply of cattle. So the crocodiles are getting big quicker at a younger age," he explained.
Last month, Fischer captured a "magnificent" photo showing a large saltwater crocodile drag a calf through waters in the area. He said wild crocs killing domestic cows is all too prevalent in the area, personally having spotted cow carcasses on riverbanks and along the water's edge.
He said farmers lose about "three cows a day or 1,000 per year", worth about $800,000. Wallabies are often a popular food source for the Ord River crocs.
"I haven't seen any get taken, but a friend has seen wallabies get taken by crocs down on the Ord. Every now and then you come across half a wallaby on the bank," Fischer previously told Yahoo.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
