Crocodile spotted at Bowen Showgrounds next to Don River

The Whitsundays is crocodile country and the crocs turn up in the strangest places. This weekend, one stopped by the Bowen Showgrounds.

A crocodile has sauntered into the Bowen Showgrounds, leading to a call to wildlife officers to remove it from the public space.

The reptile was found at the showgrounds on Saturday, with Department of Environment and Science officers called in to safely remove it.

Whitsunday Council division 4 Councillor Michelle Wright said the crocodile was safely removed, posting a photo on social media of the secured animal.

Ms Wright said it was “not every Saturday” a crocodile was reported.

“The wildlife department were notified and our visitor is now safely on his way to a more appropriate home,” she wrote on social media.

The showgrounds sits near the Don River and the Whitsundays is renowned for its crocodile population.

The nearby Proserpine River is saturated with crocs, so much so tourist operators run croc sighting tours.

Under Queensland law, crocodiles that pose a threat to human safety may be targeted for removal under the Crocodile Management Plan, and croc sightings are common across the region.

In Bowen, they have been known to crop up in odd places.

A small freshwater crocodile made the Bowen Golf Course its home in 2020 and the Costa family spotted a croc sunning itself in the Mullers lagoon.

In Mackay, crocodiles have been spotted at Shingley Beach and Mackay Harbour.

Anglers out on the Proserpine River regularly see crocodiles and on occasion, a fishing trip among the crocs can take a turn for the worse.

The Woods family battled strong currents to swim from the middle of the channel to the shore after their boats capsized.

The Woods family of Bowen shared their story of a harrowing escape from the crocodile infested Proserpine River. Picture: Supplied

Ms Woods said all she could think about was getting back to her four-month-old son Archie, whom she had decided, at the last minute, to leave at the park with Bayden’s nan Karen while the rest of the family went fishing.

“It’s so lucky I didn’t bring him because we didn’t have a lifejacket for him,” Ms Woods said.

She estimates the eight family members were in the water for at least an hour, right around the estuarine crocs’ feeding time.

“Once the second boat went down, I looked at the two youngest girls and they were crying, and I just said to them ‘pull your s--t together, we gotta swim’,” Ms Woods said.