Crocodile cull Qld: Killing crocs just lures us into a false sense of security – Bob Irwin

Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise in the interest of public safety, writes wildlife warrior Bob Irwin, because unless we can guarantee every single crocodile is eradicated from our waterways, it will never be safe to enter.

Throughout my years working in wildlife, I have witnessed several changes to the way crocodiles have been managed here in Queensland. The crocodile culling debate, always just another incident away from resurfacing.

And yet anybody who understands crocodile behaviour, knows that this would be a devastating outcome for how we manage our apex predators after nearly shooting them out of existence in the 1970s.

Culling crocodiles of course is a pointless exercise in the interest of public safety. Because unless we can guarantee that every single crocodile is eradicated from the waterways, it will never be safe for the Queensland Government to advise that it is suitable to enter the water anywhere in crocodile territory. It is only lulling people into a false sense of security.

It will never be safe for the Queensland Government to advise that it is suitable to enter the water anywhere in crocodile territory. Picture: Cameron Bates

WHO NEEDS MANAGING?

The most obvious point we seem to overlook in these incidents is that this is not actually a crocodile management issue at all. Things will only change when the authorities start to look at this for what it really is – a human management issue. Because let’s be really matter of fact here – a crocodile has never once eaten anybody out of their bedroom.

TOUGHER PENALTIES NEEDED

Here in Queensland, hefty penalties apply to many circumstances that require additional measures to protect human life. You cannot go within 100m of a humpback whale in the ocean, feed or make food available to dingoes on K’gari, swim in restricted areas at Babinda Boulders, or be caught feeding cassowaries from your picnic rug at Etty Bay. It is now an offence.

Goliath during feeding presentation. Photo: ZOOM Wildlife Park

But what doesn’t make sense, is that you can set up your video camera beside a prominent government warning sign advising that saltwater crocodiles are present, strip down to your speedos, and lead your pet dog in the water, without a single consequence at all. The crocodile and the dog both paying the price.

My understanding is that the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Biosecurity Queensland is not planning on further investigating the matter which occurred at Ayton boat ramp in Bloomfield on Wednesday February 22, 2023.

And yet this situation, above all other incidents in recent times, is one that needs to be made a very specific example of in terms of where human error was involved and what course of action will be taken to better protect our wildlife and people. The eye-for-an-eye mentality is not solving the problem at all.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

I am constantly upset when I see another incident involving a human and crocodile. The crocodile of course pays the ultimate price. However, the statements issued from the Department of Environment and Science relating to this incident, have only defended the actions of the individual, and demonised the crocodile.

Pioneering Herpetologist and Animal Conservationist Bob Irwin at home on his property near Kingaroy. Photo Lachie Millard

Yet it could have been an opportunity to educate the public about crocodile safety and showcasing that there will no longer be any tolerance for disregarding safety warnings. Tougher penalties simply need to be promoted.

We need to ensure there is a consistent approach to the messaging, with a focus on managing human behaviour for better outcomes. Crocodiles should no longer pay the price for human error. We do not simply drain Babinda Boulders when another tourist drowns there. There is now a fine to deter risky behaviour.

I am particularly disheartened, that all these years on, we still cannot co-exist with our native wildlife. This individual, whose plain stupidity has now caused the death of two animals unnecessarily, needs to be penalised for what has occurred. And we need to do this again, and again, until the message sinks in.

Originally published as Crocodile cull Qld: Killing crocs just lures us into a false sense of security – Bob Irwin