HOW WE SEE IT! To croc cull or not
With Bryan Littlely and Shaun Hollis
I am certainly no crocodile expert… and never have claimed to be, but I have a bit of knowledge about planned culls and population controls of species and the effects and impacts of such practices.
Of course, kangaroos and koalas don’t typically pose as devastating an impact to human life as a crocodile has potential to do… although I’ve seen all too often the damage a roo can do to a dog and a car when hit at speed.
And then there’s the “drop bears”!
As a non-croc expert I am inclined to listen to the comments and advice of those who do know about these magnificently impressive prehistoric creatures when it comes to the debate of whether or not to cull them in Far North Queensland and other parts of Australia.
It makes perfect sense to me to be Crocwise around all waterways, regardless of if there are 100 crocs or one croc known to be in the vicinity.
I also get that the predatory and territorial creatures have their own population control methods which have clearly had success over tens of thousands of years. Don’t mess with nature is a pretty logical approach.
But, I cannot completely remove my thoughts from the fact that people have to also live in croc territory, and will always have to live in croc territory as croc numbers are allowed to continue on their natural path.
Sure, we have to be smart about how we exist in croc territory, but I don’t buy the ill-considered comments of some that “idiots” deserve to be croc feed.
People do all sorts of silly stuff and I’m sure some of even the most Crocwise crew do something silly in their daily lives that, on occasions as rare as crocodile attacks on fools, could have them meet their end…. Are they idiots who deserve to die or just people who made a mistake?
It is my thought that already populated areas need crocodile numbers reduced to improve the ease of living in harmony with the creatures.
Taking a completely cost effective look at that process - and considering the comments of crocodile experts that the crocs are territorial and would likely turn on any relocated croc from a populated area to another habitat - I would think culling would be the cheapest and most effective way to achieve that.
Adding to the economic debate of such a cull, controlled and licensed harvesting to boost croc meat and skin trade would at least be worth discussion.
I hate waste, do like wildlife, practice good animal welfare on my farm and also like to see employment and industry opportunities. It is why I am fully supportive of planned and controlled culling and harvesting of kangaroos on my farming property. Over the past 5 years we have managed the kangaroo population on our properties with Environmental Dept endorsed and permitted roo harvesting.
We have no fewer kangaroos on our property than we did 5 years ago as a result of this approach, they are as healthy now, despite the worst drought in more than 80 years for this region… unlike the many lining the roadsides and a danger to motorists around the district.
I don’t know that a planned and permit based croc harvest for the more populated areas of Far North Queensland would have a similar outcome - a healthier, less dangerous to humans croc population - but I would like to hear thoughts of those experts who may know.
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