Rangers found the 4.4m crocodile in the Flora River just 75 miles from the town of Katherine. The beast is the biggest they have caught in years and is the size of a car.
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Katherine senior wildlife ranger John Burke stated that just three years ago they had managed to snag an even bigger croc at 4.71m in the same area. Speaking to ABC he said:
Every couple of years we'll get a big one up around 4.5 to 4.7 metres, but most of the time the average length for the crocs we catch in the Katherine River is 3.6 metres.
He continued:
You've certainly got to respect him for what he is, and he's in good condition, too. I certainly wouldn't want to run across him when I'm out fishing.
The crocodile has been relocated to a farm where he will be used as breeding stock. The ranger stated:
Hopefully, it will be a little croc resort there and he'll have a new girlfriend.
With a massive beast such as this being found in the waterways, the ranger warns people about being 'crocwise'.
With the weather warming up, the crocodiles are becoming active. They're moving into breeding season as well, and the rivers are low and they're out looking for mates, particularly the big males.
In Australia, crocodiles were made a protected species in the 1970s and ever since the numbers have been rapidly increasing.
We definitely wouldn't want to run into one of these guys when taking a dip!
