Two crocodiles found in the Mary River near Maryborough

TWO crocodiles – one thought to be at least 4.5 metres in length – have been spotted in a southern Queensland river, and experts fear sightings in the state’s south will become even more common.

The most recent croc sighting which hasn't been confirmed was on the opposite bank across the river from the Brolga Theatre....

TWO crocodiles, including one estimated as bigger than 4.5 metres, are lurking in Queensland’s Mary River, much further south than their usual habitats.

In 2014 a 3.5-metre croc was caught after a five-year hunt in the same river, with warnings that an attack could have been fatal from an animal of that size.

MOST WANTED: Croc finally caught in Mary River after five years

Queensland wildlife rangers will set a water trap hoping to catch the two crocodiles lurking in the river outside Maryborough, just north of the Sunshine Coast.

The two crocs, estimated to be at least 4.5 metres and 2.5 metres in length, were spotted by staff from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection in the Wide Bay region last week.

A crocodile warning sign on the Mary River at Maryborough. Picture: Tim Marsden

“Recent crocodile sighting warning signs have been deployed and wildlife officers will continue to monitor the river near Grahams Creek,” EHP Southern Wildlife Manager Sally Egan said.

In 2015, a croc was spotted in a river at Tiaro in what experts feared could signify a new trend of sightings further south in more populated parts of the state.

“I imagine we will see more of them in the future,” University of Queensland zoology Professor Craig Franklin said.

“We don’t know the driver behind why they are here.

“Perhaps a driver is the increase in temperatures.”

Saltwater crocs have historically been recorded in the Logan River, south of Brisbane.