Discovery of Headless Crocodile Sparks Disturbing Theory

The discovery of a headless crocodile on an Australian beach has sparked a disturbing theory that it was attacked by a trophy hunter.

Tom Hayes, a local photographer focusing on crocodiles, found the decapitated animal in Cow Bay, Queensland.

Hayes snapped some photographs of the carcass and posted them to his Instagram, which can be seen here. He said in a caption that there had been "clear machete marks" on the croc, and because of that, he is almost certain that the reptile was killed by someone who snatched its head as a trophy.

"Zero wounds that would indicate another male crocodile attacking him, head taken as a trophy," the photographer said on Instagram. His theory hasn't been confirmed.

Officials from Queensland Environment conducted an investigation into the incident, but they told news.com.au that a necropsy wasn't conducted as the body was too decomposed. The missing head also made things difficult, and the animal was just buried.

Officials were also considering whether a fight with a rival crocodile could have been the cause of death.

Newsweek has contacted Queensland Environment for a comment.

Crocodiles are extremely territorial animals and fights between them are not uncommon. Cannibalism can also occur between the animals, however this is rare.

Saltwater crocodiles in particular, are incredibly strong, fierce predators. They are known to have the strongest bite in the entire animal kingdom. These animals can slam their mouths shut at 3,700 pounds per square inch.

There are thought to be around 400,000 saltwater crocodiles living in Australia.

Although trophy hunting is largely frowned upon nowadays, it does still happen. It's a form of hunting where large, impressive animals are killed and kept for display.

The government outlawed crocodile hunting in 1971 after their population began to dwindle, however numbers shot back up quickly. Now, crocodile hunting is only allowed through a crocodile management program, where hunters can gain permits.

Therefore a market for the reptiles' heads does still exist. Sometimes the skulls can be sold for nearly $5,000, 7News reported.

If a human did decapitate the croc, they could be fined tens of thousands of dollars.

Hayes' Instagram post sparked fury with other people who expressed anger at the incident.

"Makes my blood boil," one Instagram user said.

"That is just horrible! Why would they do that? Fear, ignorance, stupidity? Just very sad!" another said.

"I can't turn away from these images, they are so disturbing, only monsters could go through with such a barbaric act," someone else said.

Hayes is a passionate about crocodile conservation and describes himself as a "protector" in his instagram bio.

He told 7News that he thought the incident was "disgusting."

"Whether he was shot and mutilated, or found dead and mutilated, it doesn't matter," he told the news outlet. "They have still broken the law."

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