Latest news with #DanielGuymer
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- RNZ News
Baby crocodile seized from fish tank after alleged poaching from wild in Australia
The crocodile must now live its life in a zoo. Photo: A baby saltwater crocodile seized from a fish tank in a far north Queensland home was intended to be kept as a pet, state authorities say. Queensland Parks and Wildlife senior conservation officer Daniel Guymer said a man in his mid-20s allegedly found the hatchling late last year in a river at Mossman, about 75 kilometres north of Cairns, and took it home. "He believed it was struggling to swim with an injury," Guymer said. "His heart was probably in the right place." The croc is estimated to be less than a year old. The crocodile in a tank in the Manoora unit where it was found. Photo: ABC/DETSI Guymer said he understood that the Cairns man had intended to keep the crocodile in a fish tank as a pet in the inner-city unit he shared with others. "Even though it was small at the time, crocodiles do get bigger," he said. "That crocodile would have quickly outgrown its enclosure." Police were tipped off about the crocodile - which was in an enclosure half a metre wide by one metre long - and rangers confiscated the animal on 16 May. The man was given 28 days to pay a $2419 fine. Guymer said the man was remorseful once the legislation was explained. He said the crocodile had been surviving on supermarket meats and "the odd lizard". The 35-centimetre crocodile has been moved to a far north Queensland zoo as its months-long captivity would have posed too many potential health risks to the local croc population if released. Keeping crocodiles as domestic pets is largely prohibited across the country, except in Victoria and the Northern Territory where they can be kept under strict conditions. Queensland prohibits the practice but Charlene, a 62-year-old croc that's been with the Casey family her entire life, is one of the exceptions. Proserpine sugar cane grower John Casey, 63, has a grandfathered permit that will last Charlene's life. The 3-metre-long croc famously bit the hand that fed her when she chomped off Mr Casey's late father's hand during feeding. "Authorities know Charlene's in a safe place and she's healthy and I'm doing the right thing by her," he said. "She knows me, and I know her moods." Charlene was left to Casey in his father's will, and she is also specified in his own will for his wife and children to inherit. Casey said to protect the reptile's welfare and reduce the risk of poaching he supported the legislation disallowing crocodiles as pets. "As they get bigger they get more dangerous," he said. He said Charlene has plenty of light, shade and room in her large enclosure. He stays safe by refusing to enter the enclosure and stays away during egg-laying. "She has her instincts," he said. "My fingers are on one side of the fence and she's on the other." -ABC
ABC News
20-05-2025
- ABC News
Baby crocodile seized from fish tank after alleged poaching from wild
A baby saltwater crocodile seized from a fish tank in a far north Queensland home was intended to be kept as a pet, state authorities say. Queensland Parks and Wildlife senior conservation officer Daniel Guymer said a man in his mid-20s allegedly found the hatchling late last year in a river at Mossman, about 75 kilometres north of Cairns, and took it home. "He believed it was struggling to swim with an injury," Mr Guymer said. "His heart was probably in the right place." The croc is estimated to be less than a year old. Mr Guymer said he understood that the Cairns man had intended to keep the crocodile in a fish tank as a pet in the inner-city unit he shared with others. "That crocodile would have quickly outgrown its enclosure." Police were tipped off about the crocodile — which was in an enclosure half a metre wide by 1 metre long — and rangers confiscated the animal on May 16. The man was given 28 days to pay a $2,419 fine. Mr Guymer said the man was remorseful once the legislation was explained. He said the crocodile had been surviving on supermarket meats and "the odd lizard". The 35-centimetre crocodile has been moved to a far north Queensland zoo as its months-long captivity would have posed too many potential health risks to the local croc population if released. Keeping crocodiles as domestic pets is largely prohibited across the country, except in Victoria and the Northern Territory where they can be kept under strict conditions. Queensland prohibits the practice but Charlene, a 62-year-old croc that's been with the Casey family her entire life, is one of the exceptions. Proserpine sugar cane grower John Casey, 63, has a grandfathered permit that will last Charlene's life. The 3-metre-long croc famously bit the hand that fed her when she chomped off Mr Casey's late father's hand during feeding. "She knows me, and I know her moods." Charlene was left to Mr Casey in his father's will, and she is also specified in his own will for his wife and children to inherit. Mr Casey said to protect the reptile's welfare and reduce the risk of poaching he supported the legislation disallowing crocodiles as pets. "As they get bigger they get more dangerous," he said. He says Charlene has plenty of light, shade and room in her large enclosure. He stays safe by refusing to enter the enclosure and stays away during egg-laying. "She has her instincts," he said. "My fingers are on one side of the fence and she's on the other."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie man 'remorseful' after illegal find in fish tank leads to $2,400 fine
A 'remorseful' Australian man has been hit with a $2,400 fine after state authorities discovered he was keeping an illegal pet in his fish tank. Rather than gold fish, tetras, or even more exotic blue discus, he'd opted for a native crocodile. And it wasn't the smaller, less dangerous freshwater variety. Hidden away in his suburban home was a juvenile saltwater crocodile, the type that can grow up to six metres long in the wild. On Tuesday, Queensland's department of environment (DETSI) announced the crocodile had been seized, following a joint operation with police. The man's home in Manoora, west of Cairns, was searched on May 16, following a tip-off by a member of the public. Pictures show the little predator with its head above the water, in a tank lined with plastic plants, rocks and sticks. While permits are available in the Northern Territory to keep crocodiles, in Queensland they can't be kept as pets. Numbers of the reptiles still remain worryingly low, and the species is listed as vulnerable to extinction in that state. Senior conservation officer Daniel Guymer said the crocodile is believed to have been caught in the wild, and was still a juvenile at the time of seizure. Although it's no longer in a tank, sadly it will never experience freedom again. 'The man admitted that he had broken the law by taking the crocodile from the wild and although he was remorseful, we take a zero-tolerance approach to the unlawful possession of wildlife,' Guymer said. 'We have examined the crocodile and although it appears healthy, it cannot be released back into the wild as it may have been exposed to disease. It is destined for a life at a farm or zoo, or at an educational facility.' 🔊 'Iconic' sound mysteriously vanishes from suburbs 👟 Adidas halts use of wild kangaroo skins in shoes 🏝️ Hotel attraction shut down after 'living nightmare' in pool exposed Although the maximum court-ordered penalty for unlawfully keeping a saltwater crocodile is over $36,000 the man, in his 20s, was given a penalty infringement notice by authorities of $2,419 instead. DETSI is urging anyone with information about crocodiles being illegally kept as pets to contact them on 1300 130 372. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
