The fear of losing life or limb would deter most people from seeking out crocodile-infested waters – but there’s a new push for action against selfie seekers who disturb the reptiles’ habitat across Queensland.
A spate of recent incidents has led to Bob Irwin – the father of the late “crocodile hunter” Steve Irwin – to urge the state government to outlaw the behaviour.
“The government says idiots like these are not breaking any laws,” Irwin said. “Well, I say, change the law.”
On behalf of Irwin, the Environmental Defenders Office has proposed reforms to Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act that they say would close a loophole that stops authorities prosecuting the behaviour.
The proposals include creating an offence for anyone who recklessly uses crocodile habitat. There’s also an aggravated or increased penalty for anyone who disturbs crocodile habitat.
Then there’s a specific offence that’s recommended, reserved for those who use crocodile habitat or disturbs the animal for the purpose of making social media content.
Irwin’s concern is that people are both endangering themselves and the crocodiles. If a crocodile is deemed a problem after an attack, it can lead to it being destroyed.
This is happened recently, when a dog was killed by a crocodile after its owner took it with him for a swim, despite warnings about the reptiles being in the water.
Kathleen Walker, a traditional owner from Wujal Wujal country where the incident occurred, said two saltwater crocodiles, which are the totem animal for her community, were subsequently destroyed against the community’s wishes.
Walker has written to Queensland’s environment minister, Meaghan Scanlon, to push for the proposed reforms and told her that the attack on the dog was recorded on video that has since been circulated online.
“[The] incident has deeply saddened our people. It was completely unnecessary and avoidable,” Walker said.
“We support the Environmental Defenders Office’s recommendations in the name of creating greater protection for our totem animal, the saltwater crocodile, when human error is involved.”
The Environmental Defenders Office’s managing lawyer, Kirstiana Ward, said another incident involved a man who jumped into a river known as a crocodile habitat in far north Queensland with a GoPro on his head. Fortunately, he was not injured.
Ward said the proposed reforms – backed by more than 40 traditional owners, conservationists, scientists, business owners and community members – are similar to those in place to control human interaction with dingoes on K’gari/Fraser Island.
A letter drafted by the Environmental Defenders Office to Scanlon also calls for the changes to be paired with the public education campaign to highlight the dangers and penalties for “reckless interactions”.
“Communities and crocodiles can peacefully coexist when people do the right thing. This is not a croc management issue – it is a people management issue,” she said.
