A crocodile killed a 12-year-old girl in Australia while she was swimming with her family on Wednesday last week. The reptile was later shot.
This is the first fatal crocodile attack in the Northern Territory since 2018. The attack occurred in Mango Creek near Palomba, an Aboriginal community.
“The events of the past week have had a huge impact on the family, and local police continue to support everyone affected,” said Police Officer Erica Gibson.
The crocodile was shot by game wardens in consultation with traditional landowners in the area. Saltwater crocodiles are considered a tribal symbol by many Aboriginal people in Australia.
The northern region is the size of France and Spain combined, but has a population of just 250,000. The number of crocodiles is estimated at 100,000.
The crocodile population was as high as 3,000 before hunting was banned in the 1970s. Local authorities say the numbers have only stabilized because they kill each other.
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