The animal was taken to a crocodile farm to keep it separate from the local human population, said Northern Territory wildlife operations chief Tracey Duldig.
“He is the biggest crocodile ever removed from the Katherine River by the Wildlife Operations Unit,” Duldig said in a statement. Wildlife rangers capture around 250 “problem crocodiles” each year. Saltwater crocodiles are a common feature of Australia’s tropical north and kill an average of two people a year.
The crocodile population has exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s, with the killing of an elderly woman last year reigniting calls to curb their numbers.
