Authorities hunt fishos behind illegal feeding of man-eating croc

Queensland’s state environment authority is working with police to identify fishermen who fed a man-eating croc, an action an MP says directly led to an attack that killed a NSW doctor on holiday.

Fishermen who were allegedly feeding a 4.9m croc in a Cooktown river in Far North Queensland before it attacked and killed a NSW doctor are now being hunted by the authorities.

The state environment authority is working with police to identify fishermen who fed the animal, an action which a Far North MP says directly led to the tragedy.

On August 3 Dave Hogbin was enjoying a bucket list trip to The Cape with his wife and three children when he fell down a vertical bank into the Annan River.

Likely attracted to the area by discarded fish guts, the monster crocodile snatched the NSW doctor and he was never seen alive again.

The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, in collaboration with Queensland Police Service, has begun reviewing video showing the dumping of fish parts just two weeks before the fatal attack.

Dr David Hogbin, 40, from Newcastle, was attacked and killed by a crocodile on the Annan River at a place known as Crocodile Bend, on August 3, 2024.

The feeding of the crocs from private property at Crocodile Bend has reportedly been happening for decades, however authorities have appear to have turned a blind eye to breaches of the Nature Conservation Act.

Information on the exact number of infringements issued for illegal feeding of crocodiles was not forthcoming from the Environment Department, but it’s understood a handful of fines have been issued since the law was enacted in 1992.

MP Warren Entsch says throwing food into the water for the crocodiles is ‘sheer stupidity’. Picture: Martin Ollman

The only croc farmer elected to the federal parliament, Warren Entsch, has come down hard on fishos feeding river predators, who he says are directly responsible for the death of Dr Hogbin.

“It’s just sheer stupidity and irresponsible,” he said.

“I think the full force of the law should be on those that fed the crocs and I hope they sleep at night knowing they are responsible for the death of that man and the croc itself.

“The animals were there because humans were feeding them, and those who think it was cool to throw food into the river must be held accountable.

“As a penalty, those identified as feeding it should contribute to the cost of signage and cost of barriers highlighting the tragedy of the incident and the feeding that caused it.”

The croc believed to be responsible for the fatal attack on Dr Hogbin was shot by wildlife officers on Monday and human remains were later discovered in its stomach.

A formal identification process is under way but police believe it is Dr Hogbin.

A large crocodile eating a fish frame illegally dumped into the river at Crocodile Bend on the Annan River. Picture: Tim Wright

The environment authority stated staff were “concerned” by claims made on social media that crocodiles in the Cooktown area are regularly being fed fish parts and roadkill.

“It is frustrating to hear of people taking unnecessary, life-threatening risks in known crocodile habitat by unlawfully feeding, approaching or interacting with estuarine crocodiles,” a spokesman said.

“This can place future visitors to those areas at a much greater risk of attack if they approach or enter the water.”

Cooktown Mayor Robyn Holmes said enforcement by council of state laws on private land given a sprawling shire covering 100,000sq km was not reasonable and was the responsibility of the state.

“We don’t have the resources to manage the Cook shire,” she said.

“I would not really like to point the finger (at people feeding the croc) given what happened, we have to put it down to a tragic accident.”

Originally published as Authorities hunt fishos behind illegal feeding of man-eating croc