A 12-year-old girl narrowly escaped serious injury after being attacked by a 2.2-metre saltwater crocodile in a rural creek south of Darwin, in the Northern Territory.
The Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security said she was ‘fortunate’ to have escaped and only suffered minor injuries.
She was taken to the hospital but has since been discharged.
The Department has reminded the public to always Be Crocwise as crocodiles can inhabit any body of water in the Top End, especially during the wet season when high water levels make it easy for them to move into areas undetected.
The Crocodile Management Team removed the animal from the creek just hours after the attack and has removed more than 70 crocodiles from the area over the last few years, some of which were over three metres long.
A recent social media trend of people purposely placing themselves in crocodile habitats has emerged on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram.
Wildlife educator Mick Bender has urged governments to introduce fines for those who purposely enter places where crocodiles are common to deter people from placing themselves in harm’s way.
The trend has already caused harm to individuals and animals.
Alister MacPhee, 37, was bitten on the leg by a crocodile, and his dog was killed after he walked into the water at a remote boat ramp in Cooktown, north Queensland.
Similarly, a fishing influencer from far-north Queensland, Daniel Colombini, was recently criticised after he was seen jumping off a 10-metre cliff into the croc-infested Tully River.
Videos of people grabbing the tail of a resting crocodile, antagonising a nearby croc with a piece of the wetsuit, and feeding crocodiles have also surfaced on social media.
These videos can be dangerous and send a wrong message to the public.
»Close Encounter with a Crocodile: 12-year-old girl narrowly escapes serious injury«
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