In a rural creek south of Darwin, a teenage girl was attacked by a 2.2-metre saltwater crocodile.
Fortunately, she only suffered minor injuries and was described as ‘extremely lucky’ to have escaped by the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security.
The department reminded the public to always Be Crocwise, as crocodiles can inhabit any body of water in the Top End.
High water levels during the wet season make it easy for crocodiles to move into areas undetected.
The Crocodile Management Team removed the crocodile from the creek a few hours after the incident was reported. Over the last years, they have removed more than 70 crocodiles from the area, some over three metres long.
On a different note, a wildlife expert, Mick Bender, has urged governments to introduce fines for people who purposely enter places where crocodiles are common after a recent social media trend emerged.
This trend involves people posting videos of themselves entering crocodile nesting spots and waterways on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram.
Alister MacPhee, 37, recorded himself walking into the water at a remote boat ramp in Cooktown, north Queensland, before being bitten on the leg by a crocodile who attacked and killed his dog on February 22.
Fishing influencer, Daniel Colombini, was also criticized after jumping off a 10-metre cliff into the croc-infested Tully River.
There are also videos of people grabbing the tail of a resting crocodile in a small waterway, antagonizing a nearby crocodile with what seems to be a piece of the wetsuit, and feeding crocodiles from a metal dinghy.
According to a Queensland crabber, Casey Eames, feeding crocodiles is incredibly dangerous as when they grow to full size, they are likely to attack boats and kill people.