Source : Perth Now news
A young freshwater crocodile has been given a clean bill of health after her adventurous weekend travelling down a suburban creek well south of the tropics.
The yet-to-be-named reptile was captured on Sunday night in a delicate operation in Ironbark Creek in Newcastle.
First spotted behind Bunnings Wallsend on Saturday afternoon, police called in the manager of nearby Australian Reptile Park.
But repeated efforts to grab the metre-long crocodile from the creekside pond failed, leading Billy Collett and his team to return on Sunday night in a tinny with paddles, head torches and a high level of patience.
“There were no sightings on Sunday and after about an hour in the water, we couldn’t find her,” he told AAP.
“We started to lose hope.”
The team was on the verge of arriving in the Hunter Wetlands three kilometres downstream when, looking back up the river, they spotted the croc’s eye sign.
Quietly paddling over to her, the boat was steadied as Billy jumped.
“I did a swan dive off the boat, got under her, grabbed her, and secured her,” he said.
“It was the best feeling.”
The reptile park shared an image of an exuberant Mr Collett chest-deep in the creek with the rescued crocodile on Monday afternoon.
That came after the park’s vet team gave the creature a clean bill of health.
Currently in quarantine at the Central Coast park, she will remain under staff care while authorities investigate how she ended up in NSW’s second largest city – far from the tropics.
Mr Collett said the unnamed croc would not have lasted long in the salty creek, particularly as winter approaches.
Australian Reptile Park marketing manager Alex Martinovich said the crocodile had likely been dumped after being someone’s illegal pet.
“She’s just travelling around looking for somewhere safe to go,” she told AAP.
“People get these pets because that is going to be so cool but once a croc is a metre long – even a freshwater – it’s a pretty big animal.”
