Large croc spotted near roadworks in Cairns stunning local residents
A large crocodile has been spotted close to a suburban roadway in Far North Queensland.
Images of the reptile, said to be near the rubbish tip and roadworks on Southern Access Road in Cairns, were shared by James William in the Cairns Crimes and Alerts Facebook group on Sunday.
Mr William said it was the first croc he had seen in the region since 2003, and that he was “happy to see it”.
The sighting is generating mixed reaction, with some calling it “cool”, while others have described it as “scary”.
According to some locals the spot where the reptile is seen relaxing is part of Chinaman Creek.
“It’s interesting for some of us who were starting to think that seeing a croc in chinaman creek would be just as possible as seeing the lochness,” one woman wrote online.
“We weren’t wrong to think crocs were in that creek!” another person said.
“Sure I saw one a couple weeks back but doubted myself. Great shots stoked to see there is one around,” a third Facebook user wrote.
Others were not as shocked by the sighting, and claim the reptiles are fond of the area.
“He’s been in that spot for years and years,” one person wrote, while another also said they had “seen them there a few times.”
“So glad he’s still there…. was worried as hadn’t seen him for a while. We always look for him when driving past,” a different person commented.
Another said it is “to be expected with all the rain” that is currently lashing the north of the state.
The Australian Reptile Park said saltwater crocodiles generally inhabit mangrove swamps, river mouths and coastal marshes around the top of the state.
“They will travel as far up stream as they can swim, often taking advantage of seasonal floods to access areas which are normally too difficult to reach, ” the Australian Reptile Park website states.
Meantime, there has been outrage over other images which emerged online, after a 3.7 metre croc was shot and killed after rangers were unable to remove it from Cable Beach, in Western Australia.
