Australia Struggles with Increasing Crocodile Numbers

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory in Australia, Eva Lawler, stated that "the crocodile population in the territory must be maintained or reduced, and cannot be allowed to exceed the population." These remarks come after the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl this week, who went missing while swimming in a creek near the community of Palumbura, southwest of the territory's capital, Darwin. After an intensive search, her remains were found in the river, with confirmed injuries indicating a crocodile attack. Lawler noted that "AUS $500,000 (US $337,000) has been allocated in the Northern Territory budget to manage the crocodile numbers over the next year." It is worth mentioning that crocodile populations in the territory have increased since they became a protected species under Australian law in the 1970s, rising from 3,000 when hunting was banned to 100,000 today.