‘Should have gone to Specsavers’: Premier’s shock FNQ croc a fake

A crocodile captured basking in a far north Queensland playground in an image by Premier Steven Miles has been exposed as a fake – prompting calls for him to see an optometrist.

A crocodile captured basking in a far north Queensland playground in an image by Premier Steven Miles has been exposed as a fake – prompting calls for him to see an optometrist.

Mr Miles on Thursday posted a photo from a helicopter over Wujal Wujal which supposedly revealed a crocodile in the town’s splash park.

He jokingly declared the government’s rebuilding of the region wouldn’t stop until “it’s done and the crocs are back where they belong”.

Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch reposted Mr Miles’ image on Friday but revealed a new key detail – the alleged crocodile was a statue.

“Looks like the Premier should have gone to Specsavers, he won’t be putting this croc back in the river—it’s a statue,” he wrote.

The view of the waterpark from above. Photo: Facebook/Steven Miles.

“I’m all for croc safety but let’s deal with facts, not fantasy.

“Hopefully locals will get a bit of a comedic relief in these challenging times.”

It comes a day after Mr Miles took to social media to reveal a shock find during an aerial tour of Far North Queensland communities devastated by cyclone Jasper.

He posted a photo of Wujal Wujal’s splash park to his Facebook page, the popular attraction now a canvas of mud and disarray, accompanied by a playful challenge.

“I took this from the air in Wujal Wujal. Check out what used to be the town splash park. It’s full of mud – but that’s not the surprise. Zoom in to see,” the caption read.

The Premier’s caption invited followers to zoom in and witness the unusual visitor.

In his comment, Mr. Miles emphasised his involvement in the recovery efforts, and his dedication to helping communities like Wujal Wujal bounce back from the cyclone’s devastation.

And if you zoom in closer, you’ll see the unwelcome visitor.

He added that he would not rest until all the displaced crocodiles were safely relocated back to their natural habitats.

“I’m in FNQ checking on our ongoing work to help communities like Wujal Wujal recover from Cyclone Jasper. We won’t rest til it’s done and the crocs are back where they belong,” he wrote alongside a crocodile emoji.

Despite this croc being ousted as a statue, post-Cyclone Jasper, residents have been encountering reptilian guests in the most unexpected places.

Tyrone Gawthorne of Townsville experienced a startling discovery last month when his children alerted him to a crocodile taking a dip in their backyard pool.

Mr Gawthorne experienced a startling discovery when his children alerted him to a crocodile taking a dip in their backyard pool. Photo: Instagram.

Mr Gawthorne saving a baby crocodile from his backyard pool in Townsville. Photo: Instagram.

His initial scepticism turned to astonishment, captured in a video that he shared online, humorously advising his followers to stay “croc wise” after the floods.

Gawthorne’s follow-up video showed him carefully extracting the young croc from the pool and releasing it back into the wild, a heartwarming moment aptly captioned “back to his billabong.”

Even more dramatically, in the inundated town of Ingham, conservation officials were called to an extraordinary rescue mission, retrieving a 2.8-metre crocodile from a storm drain near a gas station on December 18.