Wildlife rangers euthanase crocodile seen on Mary River

Australia Broadcast Center

01-07-2025

Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers say they have "humanely euthanased" a crocodile on Queensland's Fraser Coast.
The 3-metre long estuarine saltwater crocodile was first seen by a council employee in the Mary River near Maryborough, three hours north of Brisbane, last week.
Crocodile management teams Rockhampton and Townsville were then dispatched to catch the animal.
But after a seven-day hunt the Department of Environment said the crocodile had been euthanased on the banks of the Mary at Dundathu, downriver of Maryborough, "due to the ongoing public safety risk".
The crocodile was at least 200 kilometres south of its typical habitat in central and northern Queensland.
Rangers say its location could have been caused by weather conditions, territorial disputes, or the crocodile travelling on river currents.
The department encouraged crocodile sightings to be reported via the QWildlife app or to the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation.