Man-Eating Croc Put Out To Stud

A crocodile that is believed to have eaten a British holidaymaker is to be put out to stud on a farm for the rest of its life.

Saltwater crocs above a certain size are protected by Queensland law

Human remains thought to be those of 62-year-old Arthur Booker were discovered in its belly when the 15ft-long beast was captured in north Queensland.

Mr Booker disappeared on September 30 after he went to check crab pots in a river near Cooktown, in the so-called “Cape Crocodile” region of the state.

Mr Booker’s wife raised the alarm when he failed to return from the trip.

Police found some of his belongings on the river bank, close to crocodile marks.

The line securing the crab pots was frayed, rather than cut clean with a knife.

An X-ray of the captured animal revealed a wedding ring in its stomach, according to local media.

The news triggered calls for a cull of saltwater crocodiles.

But a spokesman for the state’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that because of the man-eating reptile’s size, it was a protected animal that could not be killed.

However, it could not be released either, and under Queensland state law prevented it from being displayed in a zoo or wildlife facility with any sign indicating it had eaten a human being.

That left a breeding programme as the only alternative – so the animal will be put out to stud on a farm for the rest of its life.

“Any crocodile four metres or over is… an iconic crocodile, so it needs to go into a facility where it can be used in a way that benefits crocodile conservation,” the EPA spokesman said.

Man-eating croc to be stud

SYDNEY (AFP) – A giant crocodile believed to have eaten an Australian holidaymaker will spend the rest of its life on a farm, breeding more crocodiles, an official said Thursday.
Human remains thought to be those of Arthur Booker, 62, who disappeared last month while holidaying with his wife in north Queensland, have been discovered in the stomach of a 4.5-metre crocodile captured in the area.
A spokesman for the state’s Environmental Protection Agency said that because of the reptile’s size it was a protected animal that could not be killed.
It would also not be released and under Queensland state law it cannot be displayed in a zoo or wildlife facility with any sign indicating it had eaten somebody, so a breeding programme was the only alternative. “Any crocodile four metres or over is under the conservation plan an iconic crocodile, so it needs to go into a facility where it can be used in a way that benefits crocodile conservation,” Michael Devery told national radio. Booker disappeared on September 30 after he went to check crab pots in a river near Cooktown, in the so-called “Cape Crocodile” region of far north Queensland.