Crocodiles ‘completely in every single place’ and seen crossing highway in pressing warning
Devestating floods that have already left more than 100 without a home are now leaving Australians in fear of crocodiles, with the animals pushed from their usual habitats due to flooding
The flooding has already caused massive damage to several communties(Image: Bec Beaumont)
Australians already left reeling by devastating floods now face another even scarier worry – are thousands crocodiles were feared to be on the loose.
The flooding of the Katherine River has already decimated a number of communities in the Northern Territories, with houses and vital infrastructure destroyed with over 100 residents left sheltering in emergency accommodation.
Excess rainwater meant the river’s height peaked at a whopping 19.2 metres overnight, meaning homes and bridges were totally submerged.
And now authorities are warning that because of scale of flooding, thousands of crocodiles could potentially be “anywhere”, and pose a real risk to those venturing out of their homes, given the creatures’ usual river home has burst its banks.
The region’s Incident Controller Shaun Gill warned locals to be cautious when approaching any fast moving water, adding that the crocodiles could be in places you may not expect.
He said: “There are crocs absolutely everywhere … Please don’t go in the water. The message is quite clear. Don’t swim in the water for two reasons. It’s because it’s a fast flowing river, and also this is when crocs are most active.”
Witnesses have reported multiple crocodile sightings, including video of one crossing a residential street.
Despite being the home of around 100,000 crocodiles, attacks are rare in the region, with 0 fatalities recorded last year, although things like habitat change and flooding can increase the risks.
Those who do come in to contact with a croc are told to run away if it charges, and if attacked to poke, jab, or punch sensitive areas like the crocodile’s eyes, head, and palatal valve (a flap of tissue behind the tongue).
Meteorlogists are warning of further heavy rainfall which could result in even greater flooding.
Australian weather forecaster Jude Scott warned that other rivers could also be at risk of flooding, something that add to the crocodile chaos.
“The Daly River is a huge river holding enormous volumes of water, so it will continue to slowly rise during the next week,” Scott revealed, adding it could remain at major flood level into next weekend.
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