Palumpa mourns missing girl’s death while NT calls for croc culling

Croc culling has once again become a crucial topic after police said they believed they found the remains of a young girl who was reportedly attacked by one of the dangerous reptiles. Have your say.

While a community mourns the death of a 12-year-old girl, many Territorians have turned their outrage into a renewed call for croc culling.

NT Police believe they have found the remains of a missing child after she was reportedly attacked by a crocodile in Mango Creek, Palumpa.

The search ended after almost two days, when the girl was first reported missing about 5.30pm Tuesday.

While the extensive search dragged on, the topic of culling the dangerous reptiles was at the forefront of many Territorians’ minds.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler said her heart went out to the girl and her community and said she was “just heartbroken” when she heard the news.

“There is always more to be done around crocodile safety, (it is) something we continuously need to do,”

“I do think Territorians are very aware of the dangers of crocodiles but of course this is a tragedy.”

Ms Lawler said there was about $500,000 going towards crocodile management in the 2024/25 budget.

She said it was important the Territory “reduced or maintained” the number crocs roaming in the region.

“Our croc numbers grew from 3000 in 1972 to 100,000,” she said.

“We can’t have the crocodile numbers outnumber the human population.”

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro also said her thoughts were with the young girl’s family who were “enduring the unspeakable”.

But Ms Finocchiaro said an increasing number of crocs were creeping into public waterways and disturbing Territorians and tourists experience of the NT.

“It sends a message that the Territory is unsafe and on top of law and order and crime issues, what we don’t need is more bad headlines,” she said.

“Crocodile management is a very critical part of making sure we preserve the Territory lifestyle and that’s why more investment needs to be made into crocodile management, closer workings with our park rangers, Aboriginal Ranger groups and other stakeholders to make sure that we are managing the growth of these populations sustainably and protecting Territories and tourists alike who want to enjoy swimming in our iconic waterways.”

Ms Finocchiaro said culling croc numbers was already a part of management plans with “a certain number taken out of circulation every single year” but it was not the be-all and end-all.

She said the better way to manage crocs would be through infrastructure that prevents the animals from entering popular swimming holes.

Ms Finocchiaro said the CLP would be announcing its policy approach to crocodile management in the coming weeks.

The last time someone was killed by a crocodile in the Territory was in 2018 when a Yirrkala ranger died while in Gangan community, 200km south-west of Nhulunbuy.

An 11-year-old girl was believed to have been taken by a crocodile in rural Darwin almost ten years prior in 2009, when police pulled her remains from Lambells Lagoon after a 12 hour search.

The Crocodile Management Team has been contacted for comment.