The crocodile population in Australia’s Northern Territory has been reduced to 3,000 individuals after years of hunting them because the authorities decided that they were a problem 60 years ago.
And then in 1971 they had to protect the then endangered crocodile and applied bans on hunting and other conservation efforts. This led to an increase in population numbers to 100,000 individuals.
And so once again the crocodiles became a problem; the salt water crocodiles were attacking people so a cull was announced.
And The Times reported yesterday that at least 1,200 will be trapped and killed annually. This is a departure from normal policy of moving them to remote areas if they threaten people. Only in rare cases are rogue crocodiles killed.
The most recent fatal attack by a crocodile on a person happened a week ago in the Torres Strait. A 14 foot male killed a 16-year-old boy as he was swimming to the shore after his boat broke down.
Many people are seriously injured by crocodiles but on average one person is killed by a crocodile every three years.
The authorities in Australia’s Northern Territory are considering reintroducing recreational hunting of crocodiles which was banned 50 years ago. Aboriginal tourism operators suggested it.
How many crocodiles are killed by humans in Australia each year?
The exact number of crocodiles killed by humans in Australia each year is not publicly available. There isn’t a central repository for wildlife mortality data in Australia. However, some states might publish data on wildlife mortality from culling or control programs.
How many crocodiles are killed by humans in the Northern Territory each year?
The exact number of crocodiles killed by humans in the Northern Territory each year is not publicly available. There isn’t a central repository for wildlife mortality data in Australia, and while some states may publish data on wildlife mortality from culling or control programs, it likely isn’t comprehensive.
However, we can glean some information from other sources:
- Crocodile management programs: The Northern Territory does have a crocodile management program that removes some crocodiles from waterways, particularly those posing a threat to public safety. News articles report on the number of crocodiles removed each year, but this doesn’t necessarily reflect the total number killed by humans (e.g., some removals might involve relocation).
- Focus on conservation: The Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission emphasizes crocodile conservation and saltwater crocodiles are a protected species. This suggests large-scale culling is unlikely.
Here are some resources that you might find helpful:
- Crocodile populations – Northern Territory Government: https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/202579/crocodile-populations.pdf
- Record year for fatal croc attacks in NT | SBS News: https://ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/record-year-for-fatal-crocodile-attacks-in-northern-territory/news-story/e71d7ee8dd4b30641447d9b114cb1039
