Father and son duo’s happy snaps with 5.3m croc ‘just fun and games’

A MONSTER 5m plus croc with a penchant for eating turtles proved to be no match for a father and son duo who decided to catch and relocate it

A MONSTER croc with a penchant for eating Olive Ridley turtles proved to be no match for father and son duo James De Santis and Harry De Santis Yunupingu.

The croc was captured and moved to another part of the island to allow the turtles to nest.

While the croc was caught in December, the amazing photos of Mr De Santis straddling the crocodile with just a rope around it’s nose have only just emerged.

James De Santis with the whopper of a croc that he and his son Harry de Santis Yunupingu caught and removed on the Tiwi Islands. Picture: Supplied

Mr De Santis said the croc, which was as long as the tinny they were in when they caught it, was about 5.3m long.

“It was killing all of our laying turtles, the Oliver Ridley, and we’ve got low numbers and so me and my son took it upon ourselves to move him and relocate it,” he said.

The marine ranger said the croc was also posing a risk to the community as children often swam at the beach where the croc hung out.

Harry De Santis Yunupingu with the whopping 5.3m croc he caught with his father on the Tiwi Islands. Picture: Supplied

The duo harpooned the croc before tying it up and relocating to the western side of Bathurst Island.

While catching the croc may seem like a dangerous venture to some Mr de Santis said he relocated the croc after work and it was “just fun and games”.

However, he reminded people to Be Crocwise and be alert around water.

NT Parks and Wildlife rangers have caught 110 salties in the Top End this year.