Croc Cull.

Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Location: brisbane

CALLS for a crocodile cull in far north Queensland after a suspected fatal attack earlier this week are ill-advised, an expert says.

Police and State Emergency Service volunteers are searching for 62-year-old holidaymaker Arthur Booker, who is believed to have fallen victim to a crocodile attack on the Endeavour River near Cooktown on Tuesday.

The incident has prompted north Queensland MP Bob Katter to call for a crocodile culling program in Cape York.

However, Australia Zoo senior wildlife ranger Barry Lyon said a crocodile cull would achieve nothing.

"It's just not going to work, the thing with crocodiles is that you can never guarantee that you've hunted them all out," Mr Lyon said.

"There's always going to be some survivors and some moving in from other areas to take their place."

Mr Lyon said crocodiles, because of their place at the top of the food chain, were an essential part of river and lagoon eco systems in the north.

He said extensive hunting of the large reptiles following World War II had a massive impact on river systems in the area.

"The eco systems were so out of balance that catfish were hugely abundant, we'd go fishing and you might catch 20 cat fish for one barra," Mr Lyon said.

"Since then the crocodiles have recovered and now you hardly ever catch a catfish - that's a good example of how they keep the whole system healthy."

He said the presumed attack on Mr Booker was a "terrible tragedy", and it was up to the Environmental Protection Agency to decide whether to trap or kill the crocodile believed to be responsible.

Crocodiles were a part of life in the north, and people who chose to camp or fish in croc infested waters needed to be on guard, Mr Lyon said.

"Stay out of the water, camp well away from the water, go fishing in a good sturdy high sided boat," he said.

He also warned campers against throwing food scraps or fish carcasses into the river.

"That attracts crocs, that's like fast food for them, and it puts people in a very dangerous situation."

What do you think??

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:17 pm

i say cull some!

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

or of course you could breed smarter people. Who would have thought a politician would make a media statement about culling crocodiles after the suspected death of a man to a crocodile?

If people used common sense and did those suggestions then no problems. How many people go into croc areas and get out alive compared to the very few who meet an untimely death? Generally the people who have died have been doing something they shouldn't like fishing in the water, swimming in croc areas, cleaning fish by the water etc etc. Also killing a few crocs isn't going to make all the other crocs suddenly think "Hey maybe we shouldn't eat those tourists anymore because look what happened to Frank and Bob"

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:22 pm

true. maybe killing some big ones though may help.
and may feed alot of foreign tourists for a HUGE fee?
or better yet charge them HEAPS let them shoot one then eat it....

Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Location: on some track to some place

im origonaly from fnq. crocs everywhere as peole no. i lived there for 10 and a bt years and still go back to see the old man. there are signs everywhere especially around cooktown area saying dont go in or near the water as crocs live there. and MOST people obay the signs and do the right thing. imo its a rare occurance that has happend and no crocs should be culled. its rare, and it was just his time to go

Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Location: brisbane

rogantriton wrote:

im origonaly from fnq. crocs everywhere as peole no. i lived there for 10 and a bt years and still go back to see the old man. there are signs everywhere especially around cooktown area saying dont go in or near the water as crocs live there. and MOST people obay the signs and do the right thing. imo its a rare occurance that has happend and no crocs should be culled. its rare, and it was just his time to go

Agreed on the first part. I have worked up there abit, but you do see a few in and around the water.

There are still Cockys around that sink the odd Croc. I dont think there should be a Cull, but numbers need to be monitered or we will end up with the same over-population as we have with bloody Roo's.

Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Location: Wollongong

What about monitoring people, no one seems to mind how much we're overpopulating.

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:48 pm

I think culls of certain things are good for example

- Anyone who has ever voted for 'The Greens' or the 'Anti-4WD' party

That'll do for now! Very Happy

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

ferog wrote:

What about monitoring people, no one seems to mind how much we're overpopulating.

x Ferogty.

Why are we killing things that people are warned about every 10 mins up there?
They interviewed the local shop bloke near where this dude got chowed down on, and he said that people are gettin dumber around the danger zones.

Leave the . crocs, but then the only option is CLOSE THE PLACE DOWN...

I say breed smarter people like grimboty says...

Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Location: yinnar south

Its called the food chain and up that part of the country we are not on the top of it. If you get chewed on, to bad.

Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Location: Brisbane

last fatal attack was what? 2003.
Two deaths in 5 years. Shocked

......no one had better tell the MP about the road toll.

Typical pollie, doing the typical knee jerk reaction trying to sound like he is doing something, while really contributing fark all

Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Location: Cairns

We stayed up at Cape Flattery the other week & were stalked by a croc for the 2 nights we stayed. I sleep on the roof of my car in a tent style thing but mates just threw swags on the ground. Very much "it won't happen to me" attitude.

I'd say this croc had been watching the movements made by the guy over the time he was staying there & took the opportunity as it came by.

The crocs shouldn't be culled, they have been here forever, we have invaded their territory. I can understand if it is grabbing outboards on tinny's etc but for grabbing a meal like it would normally, you can't blame it.

As said before, there are plenty of signs warning you & if you come to FNQ you gotta realise their are certain dangers.

I do feel for the family as noone would want to go through something like that.

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

phippsey wrote:

I think culls of certain things are good for example

- Anyone who has ever voted for 'The Greens' or the 'Anti-4WD' party

That'll do for now! Very Happy

That's a good start! armsup

Joined: 29 May 2003 Location: hidin frm da wiminz!!!

I dont mind them being turned into food.

Obviously they need to monitor the numbers and do it responsibly, but its good food and a win win situation IMHO.

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

GRIMACE wrote:

I dont mind them being turned into food.

Obviously they need to monitor the numbers and do it responsibly, but its good food and a win win situation IMHO.

I just want a new laptop case, and pr of shoes.

Joined: 29 May 2003 Location: hidin frm da wiminz!!!

bogged wrote:

GRIMACE wrote:

I dont mind them being turned into food.

Obviously they need to monitor the numbers and do it responsibly, but its good food and a win win situation IMHO.

I just want a new laptop case, and pr of shoes.

that would be another bonus. I could get a new handbag or twelve!

Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Location: Cairns

The crocs you eat & wear are farmed up here. Alot of the ones captured in the wild are used for breeding in captivity.

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

GRIMACE wrote:

bogged wrote:

GRIMACE wrote:

I dont mind them being turned into food.

Obviously they need to monitor the numbers and do it responsibly, but its good food and a win win situation IMHO.

I just want a new laptop case, and pr of shoes.

that would be another bonus. I could get a new handbag or twelve!

ebay the rest.

Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Location: Bribie Island

DIRTY ROCK STAR wrote:

true. maybe killing some big ones though may help.
and may feed alot of foreign tourists for a HUGE fee?
or better yet charge them HEAPS let them shoot one then eat it....

A typical redneck response....if you dont wanna get eaten by a croc dont go in his home....same as if someone came into your house in the middle of the night....
Crocs have been there for thousands of years and i am positive each and every person attacked by crocs knew they were there, so why did they venture into the or near the water ?
No Cull just commonsense should be the way to handle this....
You kill all the crocs , you kill the top end....

Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Location: Adelaide

the_fatman wrote:

DIRTY ROCK STAR wrote:

true. maybe killing some big ones though may help.
and may feed alot of foreign tourists for a HUGE fee?
or better yet charge them HEAPS let them shoot one then eat it....

A typical redneck response....

And your response is about as reasoned.

Kill all the crocs? Who suggested that? Typical knee-jerk response. A cull is about reducing numbers, not eliminating the species. If you think charging trophy fees is a bad thing I believe a large number of conservationists (real conservationists, not Greenies) will disagree with you.

There are more crocs now because there are fewer predators eating the eggs and attacking the young. So yes, crocs have been there for thousands of years, but there are more of them now than ever before - thanks to human interference. A cull is not an unreasonable course of action, if the aim is to restore a balance. A cull is not an open slather redneck festival. Although, that may not be a bad thing. Organise a redneck cull to coincide? Razz

Notwithstanding the above, I'm not suggesting a cull is required - I don't know if it's really as bad as Bob Katter makes out, and it is Bob Katter, after all. Rolling Eyes

Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane

Can we just capture 40% of the croc population and release them in sydney?

That will solve a number of issues.

Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Location: Bris Vegas

heard a police officer on the news tonight saying they now don't believe this guy was taken from the bank, but reckon he was maybe in the water at the time. WTF Rolling Eyes

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

Yom wrote:

Can we just capture 40% of the croc population and release them in sydney?

That will solve a number of issues.

Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Katter is a has been poly Cool

Cull crocs ?

I say cull drugged up, fu(k ups and feed em to the Crocs !

Crocs rule !

Joined: 09 Mar 2004 Location: queensland

if we cull the crocs who is going to eat the tourist Crying or Very sad

Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Location: where ever the track takes me

Im dont know about crock numbers ect, but interestingly, many years ago when I was driving limos, I had to drive Bob Katter about for a few days here in Brisbane. Hes comes accros as confused and iratic, even to the point of beeing quite mad. Yet weeks later when driving him about a gain he would recall a conversation we had almost word for word!

I have driven loads of polies about, and I couldnt think of a nicer bloke to drive about.

Sorry got off topic, about crocks.
I tend to think that we find the idea of culling an animal barbaric, no one liks to see animals killed, but if it needs to be done, then it should be done, even for their sakes as well as ours.

Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Location: brisbane

qld-bundy-drinker wrote:

heard a police officer on the news tonight saying they now don't believe this guy was taken from the bank, but reckon he was maybe in the water at the time. WTF Rolling Eyes

I heard there was drag marks into water.

IMO, Crocs are bloody smart. Take a look at the body structure of Crocs, they are built to kill. Get too close or too dumb and you will get eaten. Just gotta be carefull.

Bloody shithouse way to die though Crying or Very sad

Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Location: Mt Evelyn.Vic

I don't agree with culling them, I think trapping a relocation is a much better way to go! as said previously they are only doing what they know and have been doing for thousands of years, every thing is a food source they can't tell the difference between human and animal it's all the same to them If a croc poses to be a problem then that croc needs to moved to a new location prefrebly remote not hunted down and slaughtered!!! p.s I'm no greeny but Crocs and Great white sharks are my favourite 2 animals on this planet I say let em live!

CROC'S ROCK!!!

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia

Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Location: North West Qld

Yom wrote:

Can we just capture 40% of the croc population and release them in sydney?

That will solve a number of issues.

Yom for deputy prime minister!! #Rofl