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Australian rangers warn tourists of significant crocodile threat

Xinhua, February 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

Australian national park rangers have warned tourists to be careful after catching a large saltwater crocodile.

Rangers in the Northern Territory (NT) pulled the 3.7-meter crocodile out of a baited trap in a gorge in the Nitmiluk National Park (NNP), only 30 kilometers from Katherine, one of the territory's most popular tourist attractions.

It was the sixth saltwater crocodile caught in the first gorge of the 13-gorge system since 2009 and was in the average size range, Andrew McPhee, actirng district ranger for the NNP said.

"He's big enough to cause problems," McPhee told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Saturday.

The NT has experienced a substantial wet season which has caused river levels to rise, creating perfect conditions for the lethal predators to navigate their way into waterways.

"You always know at this time of year when the river rises, especially when it starts to settle and slow down, it makes it an easy path for any size saltwater crocodile to move up from downstream into the gorge system,"McPhee said.

"We've probably been more surprised in the last few years that we haven't caught any."

Despite being closed during the wet season, some tourists still manage to enter the gorge system to canoe or swim.

"Part of our crocodile management plan is we will maintain one trap at the boat ramp in the first gorge by keeping it open, keeping it baited," McPhee said.

"We're just ready for 'em at any time, and if we can clear him out now it's not going to stop any more coming in in the meantime.

"It's really just giving us the heads-up to what's coming up through the system."

Once the wet season finished, rangers spend up to a month surveying the area to ensure it is safe to re-open.

"We are actively looking before we open anything (to the public)... we want to know what exactly is in that system when the water drops down low to a point that it makes it difficult for things to get in," McPhee said.

"At this time of year, it's the crocodiles' domain; they can come and go as they please, we can't stop them, but once the river drops off that's when our intensive management really kicks in for visitor safety." Endit