Aurukun elder says the croc issue is a ‘big concern’ following death of her brother
Crocodiles were displaying disturbing and dangerous behaviour but not removed by authorities before a monster 4m predator killed a fisherman in remote Queensland, it has been revealed. SEE THE VIDEO
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Crocodiles were displaying disturbing and dangerous behaviour but not removed by authorities 13 months before a monster 4m predator killed a fisherman in remote Queensland, it has been revealed.
Aurukun, 800km northwest of Cairns, has been in mourning since February 8 after the remains of fisherman Waal Waal Yunkaporta were found inside a large black-coloured saltwater croc, shot in the waters of the Watson River.
In the 12 months leading up to the attack residents reported encounters with aggressive crocodiles showing no fear of humans and nudging boats.
Aurukun Shire Council also issued warnings in January 2024 after crocs were being enticed into the boat ramp by fish frames and pig carcasses dumped at the water’s edge.
A disturbing video also showed a brazen crocodile devouring a pig just metres from a four-wheel-drive.
The victim’s sister, Phyllis Yunkaporta, believes his death was preventable.
She is urgently calling on the state government to upskill local rangers and proactively manage the ongoing threat to public safety.
“Right now they are huge, very gigantic and it’s a big concern because the crocs have come up as close as the landing and public use area at the boat ramp,” she said.
“These big ones do approach boats and I am told there’s an albino crocodile there.
“Little ones wade in those rivers, families go fishing and they sometimes wade out to chuck the cast nets, we want them to be safe.”
Fishing is a way of life for the remote Indigenous community who rely on it as an affordable way to supplement a diet given the exorbitant cost of groceries.
In Wik culture crocodiles or pikkuw are a respected totem animal.
According to dreamtime stories tribesmen would keep crocs as pets and would use large beasts to cross rivers but in modern times Ms Yunkaporta said ownership of crocodiles was seen differently and feeding of the apex predators had spoiled their appetite to hunt their own game in the wild.
Cape York crocodile management
Waters surrounding Aurukun under the Queensland Government Crocodile Management Plan are classed as a general management zone, meaning the area is typical habitat for crocodiles but is not near a large urban centre.
“(But) crocodiles displaying dangerous behaviour are targeted for removal,” the plan says.
According to the Department of Environment, five crocodile sighting reports from the Aurukun region were received in 2024.
Patrols of Aurukun waterways by rangers were carried out between May 5 and 9 and again on May 22 to 24 last year but “no concerning crocodile behaviour (was) identified” and no crocs were targeted for removal.
Ms Yunkaporta said the croc that attacked her brother should have been removed.
“I’ve been let down by the authorities, because the authorities have to understand a human life has been taken, and it so happens to be my brother,” she said.
“I want to be listened to, we need to be listened to, we have to prevent another death like this happening in the future.
“We have APN rangers in place in Aurukun, they have Wik heritage.
“They have to be upskilled to the extent where they can hold proper certificates in place so that they can remove them and be given the go ahead, rather than face red tape from the government, we need some flexibility for our APN rangers.
“If it’s been a menace all along, well the only option would be to shoot him out, cull it.”
EMPOWERING ABORIGINAL RANGERS
Community Representation of Crocodiles co-founder Amanda French agreed upskilling local rangers would lead to much better outcomes in remote Cape York communities.
She said Napranum rangers had recently presented a pilot program to Environment Minister Andrew Powell advocating for community driven Croc Safe mitigation and the power under the Nature Conservation Act to hand out fines to waterway users found to be doing the wrong thing.
“They can be an on the ground resource if they are given the same powers as DESI rangers and they can turn around (illegal) croc feeding,” she said.
“And a lot of the (Indigenous) ranger groups would like to see a rehoming facility that could be run by ranger groups so those spiritual connections can be maintained long after the croc is removed from the wild.”
Ms French said Indigenous people were rarely captured in fatal croc statistics and there was a lot to be learned from Indigenous Cape York croc interactions that date back thousands of years.
In a statement the Department of Environment said the agency had been working with the Aak Puul Ngantam Rangers (APN) and the Aurukun Shire Council to provide ongoing Crocwise education to the community.
“We are planning an Aurukun visit after sorry business has concluded to continue this work with rangers, council, police and the local community,” a spokesman said.
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Waal Waal Yunkaporta was the last surviving, third brother of Ms Yunkaporta before he was attacked.
Her eyes wet with tears, the grieving sister remembered him as a kind and gentle soul who would be dearly missed by the whole town.
“He always helped around the house, he mowed the lawns and collected pandanus for me and my sisters and he dug up the roots and the bulbs,” she said.
“My brother was always a very happy-go-lucky person.
“He’d always want to shake your hand, greet you with a smile and chat, he never had anything bad to say.
“We’re going to miss his thoughtfulness, he loved everyone in the house, we loved him.”
Ms Yunkaporta believed the loss of her brother saved someone else from falling victim to an attack by a big crocodile.
“Everyone in community really has to now understand my brother gave his life for the community, either it would have been a member of community, a man or woman or child,” she said.
“And we need action to be taken from this day forward to prevent anything happening ever again.
“Authorities need to understand that my brother’s life was taken, and I feel he sacrificed his life for the life of the community.
“We really need something done on these crocodiles.”
To help with funeral costs, Tyson Yunkaporta has organised a fundraiser on behalf of the family.
“We are all so shocked and upset, many in our extended family have taken time off work and lost income, so we are reaching out to ask for some help for funeral costs,” he stated in the Gofundme appeal.
The Cairns Post has chosen to not publish the man’s Christian name in keeping with Wik tradition and images of the man have been used with family consent.
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Originally published as Aurukun elder says the croc issue is a ‘big concern’ following death of her brother
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