Why doesn’t DERM just cull crocodiles that come too close to where people live?
Crocodiles are known to move over considerable distances (both over land and in the water). This means that culling or removal of crocodiles that live near places where people also live will never be a guarantee that any area will be ‘crocodile free’. To remove one crocodile simply creates more space for another crocodile that lives nearby or allows new crocodiles to disperse into the vacated area. It will always be more sensible, and safer, to assume that crocodile habitat is occupied and to take the basic precautions of not swimming or wading, and to adopt safe fishing and safe boating practices. DERM has prepared a Crocodile Communication Strategy including the Croc wise community education program. Croc wise includes public information on how people should behave in croc country. Details of Croc wise are available on this website.
