Cooktown crocodile attack at Annan River raises questions over laws and penalites
A prominent Cooktown business owner has condemned the illegal feeding of crocodiles in the wild, and called for law reform around human-reptile interactions and responses to attacks on people.
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A prominent Cooktown business owner has condemned the illegal feeding of crocodiles in the wild, and called for law reform around human-reptile interactions and responses to attacks on people.
In the wake of the fatal attack on 40-year-old Newcastle doctor David Hogbin on Saturday, concerning footage was posted to social media of a fisherman feeding unwanted fish parts to the resident 4.9m croc at Crocodile Bend – the location where Dr Hogbin was taken.
The croc believed to be responsible for the fatal attack on Dr Hogbin was shot by wildlife officers on Monday and human remains were discovered in the stomach of the animal.
A formal identification process is under way but police believe the remains are Dr Hogbin’s.
The Lure Shop Tackleworld Cooktown owner Russell Bowman said the incident was a tragedy for the man’s family.
“It’s bulls***, they shouldn’t be feeding it,” he said.
“We’ve been trying to get the council to install a suitable fish cleaning station.
“On a busy weekend, the bins (at the boat ramp) get filled up with fish frames and locals go out to Croc Bend and dispose of the frames because at least they’re getting eaten and they are getting them out of the way.”
The president of the Cooktown Chamber of Commerce said there had to be better enforcement of wild animal feeding regulations and harsher penalties for people caught doing the wrong thing.
He also believed changes to legislation were needed to streamline the process of obtaining a death certificate.
“You can’t get a death certificate issued on hearsay evidence, you need to have DNA evidence, you need to have a corpse basically,” he said.
“Otherwise you have a seven year lag like poor old Bruce Schuler (who was murdered at the Palmer River in 2012 and whose body has never been found).
“There will be a lot of pushback from the locals and traditional owners about that big iconic spirit creature being killed.
“The whole Queensland croc management program is not working.”
Under the Nature Conservation Act of 1992, feeding of a native animal that is dangerous (such as a crocodile), is prohibited and carries a maximum fine of $6452.
Mr Bowman said the croc had been fed at the Annan River for 50 years and human interaction went back to when old time workers on the Mulligan Highway dumped road kill in the river, meaning as soon as the croc felt the vibrations of four-wheel-drive vehicles, it would make its way to the feeding zone at Crocodile Bend.
Though Mr Bowman agreed fishos had been doing the wrong thing, he didn’t believe their actions could be directly blamed for the death.
Mr Bowman supported calls for land at Crocodile Bend to be resumed by the Cook Shire Council and a purpose-built crocodile viewing platform be built so tourists could safely see the animals in the wild, similar to the bridge at the Mowbray River, south of Port Douglas.
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Originally published as Cooktown crocodile attack at Annan River raises questions over laws and penalites
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