Community & Business
27 June, 2023
Moves to relocate lake croc
The Lake Eacham freshwater crocodile may be facing relocation, with Tablelands Regional Council set to ask the State Government to move the reptile to a more appropriate environment.
The Lake Eacham freshwater crocodile may be facing relocation, with Tablelands Regional Council set to ask the State Government to move the reptile to a more appropriate environment.
Concerns about the crocodile’s presence were raised during last week’s council meeting by Cr David Clifton, who had consulted with “croc expert” and Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch.
According to Mr Entsch, allowing the reptile to remain in the lake would be considered “cruel”, pointing out that Lake Eacham was not the natural habitat for crocodiles, as the water temperature was too cold for the animal to thrive.
He suggested that the Mitchell or Walsh River, among other warmer waterways, would be more suitable environments for the crocodile.
The decision to ask the State to remove the animal comes in the wake of a recent incident involving an early morning swimmer who was “attacked” by a crocodile, resulting in the man’s hospitalisation.
Although the attack is the first one recorded in recent history, it has caused apprehension among locals who now feel uneasy about using the lake, with many stating that they will no longer visit the popular spot.
Council will now write to the Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Science, and Multicultural Affairs, Leanne Linard, to ask for the immediate relocation of the crocodile to a more suitable environment
