The 4.2 Meter Crocodile Caught By A Teenager In Australia Shot Dead

UNSPLASH/Glen Carrie ILLUSTRATION

A forest guard shot dead a 4.2 meter long crocodile in northern Australia after the crocodile pounced on a 12-year-old girl while swimming to death.

The girl's death was the first fatal crocodile attack in the Northern Territory since 2018.

The attack revived debate over whether more action should be taken to curb the crocodile population in the Northern Territory, where this protected species is increasingly penetrating the human population.

The forest guard has been trying to trap or shoot the crocodile since the girl was attacked last week in Mango Creek near Palumpa.

They shot a crocodile on Sunday after obtaining permission from traditional landowners in the region. Salty water crocodiles are seen as airbags by many Australian natives.

Police said analysis had confirmed it was the animal that killed the girl.

Last week's incident had a major impact on the local family and police continued to provide support to everyone affected, senior Sergeant Erica Gibson reported by ABC News, Wednesday, July 10.

The girl's death comes weeks after the Northern Territory approved a 10-year plan to limit the number of crocodiles, thereby increasing the destruction rate near human habitat from 300 to 1,200 per year.

The government of the Northern Territory said that after the latest deaths, the number of crocodiles should not exceed the number of humans.