A 12-year-old girl has tragically lost her life in a crocodile attack in northern Australia, prompting renewed discussions about measures to manage the growing crocodile population in the region.
In a heart-wrenching incident, a 12-year-old girl has become the victim of a fatal crocodile attack while swimming with her family in Mango Creek near Palumpa, an Outback Indigenous community in the Northern Territory. The tragic event has sent shockwaves through the community and reignited a debate on whether more needs to be done to control the crocodile population in the region.
Crocodile Kills 12-Year-Old Girl in Northern Australia, Reigniting Debate on Population Control
Wildlife rangers were deployed to the area immediately after the attack, and after receiving permission from traditional landowners who regard saltwater crocodiles as a totem, they successfully shot and killed a 14-foot crocodile suspected of being responsible for the girl's death. This incident marks the first fatal crocodile attack in the Northern Territory since 2018, when an Indigenous woman was killed while gathering mussels in a river.
The latest fatality has brought renewed attention to the issue of crocodile population management in the Northern Territory. The territory has a land area comparable to France and Spain combined, but its human population is a mere 250,000. In contrast, the crocodile population is estimated to be around 100,000.
Crocodile Kills 12-Year-Old Girl in Northern Australia, Reigniting Debate on Population Control
The Northern Territory government has recently approved a 10-year plan aimed at containing crocodile numbers by increasing the rate of culling near human habitat from 300 to 1,200 per year. This decision was made in response to concerns that crocodiles were encroaching on human populations.
According to crocodile scientist Grahame Webb, the crocodile that killed the girl was likely a male at least 30 years old. Webb explained that crocodiles continue to grow throughout their lifespan, which can reach up to 70 years.
Webb also noted that the crocodile population in the Northern Territory has largely stabilized in recent years due to intraspecific competition, with crocodiles killing each other for food and territory. He argues that human intervention in controlling the population may not be necessary.
However, the Northern Territory government maintains that crocodile numbers cannot be allowed to outpace human populations for safety reasons. With a fragile balance between humans and crocodiles, the debate over population control is likely to continue, especially in light of recent tragic incidents.
