Wildlife rangers have fatally shot a 14-foot saltwater crocodile responsible for the death of a 12-year-old girl in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The young victim was attacked and killed by the massive reptile while swimming with her family in Mango Creek near Palumpa last week.
The Northern Territory is home to an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, considered the largest reptiles on earth.
Saltwater crocodiles hold significant cultural importance as a totem for many Indigenous Australians. While attacks on humans are rare, they can be deadly.
Authorities said on Wednesday that the rangers received permission from traditional landowners before shooting the animal on Sunday.
Australia Police claim that confirmation of the crocodile’s involvement in the fatal attack followed thorough analysis.
“The events of last week have had a huge impact on the family and local police are continuing to provide support to everyone impacted,” senior Sgt Erica Gibson said in a statement by the Australian Police.
Grahame Webb, a Northern Territory-based crocodile scientist, estimated the shot crocodile to be at least 30 years old, given its size.
“They eat each other. The crocs have been controlling their own population. It’s not really people that have been controlling them,” Webb said.
Saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years and continue growing throughout their lives.
The incident occurred just weeks after the Northern Territory approved a 10-year plan to manage crocodile populations, increasing culling rates near human habitats from 300 to 1,200 annually.
The government emphasized the need to maintain a balance between human and crocodile populations, given the region’s vast land area and relatively small human population of 250,000.
However, Webb noted that the crocodile population has largely stabilized in recent years due to natural regulation, with crocodiles controlling their own numbers through territorial and food-related conflicts.