Over a Dozen Crocodiles Found Shot Dead With Some Beheaded: 'Disgusting'

A number of crocodiles have been found shot dead over the past few months, with some being beheaded, according to a report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Local fisherman Dylan Leschke told the news outlet in an article published on Friday that he had discovered 14 bodies recently along the Norman River in the northeastern state of Queensland, Australia. Some of the saltwater, or estuarine, crocodiles had even been beheaded, Leschke told the ABC.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptile on Earth, with males capable of reaching lengths of more than 20 feet and weights of over 2,000 pounds. These crocodiles are found in saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers in parts of south Asia, southeast Asia, northern Australia and some other locations in Oceania.

This apex predator came close to being wiped out in Australia, largely as a result of unregulated hunting, before authorities designated it as a protected species in the early 1970s. Since then, the population in the country has rebounded.

Regarding the recent crocodile killings in Queensland, the state Department of Environment and Science has launched an investigation into at least five deaths documented by rangers since mid-August.

Rangers with the local Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (CLCAC) are assisting state authorities with the probe. CLCAC officials said the size of the crocodiles that have been killed is a concern for the local ecosystem.

"These larger crocs are the dominant crocs and if they are taken out of the equation it upsets the balance of the local environment, as well as the dynamic of the local croc population," a CLCAC spokesperson told ABC. "We're aware of multiple incidents over the last month and our rangers have been out in boats assessing the bodies."

Leschke said locals were concerned about who was killing the crocodiles. Currently, no suspects have been identified.

"They're not a threat to our society," Leschke said. "These people are just getting trigger-happy and trying to shoot them under the radar. I've never seen something so disgusting out here—wasting a three-tonne beast like that."

While the saltwater crocodile can pose a risk to humans due to its large size, power and speed, the CLCAC said these huge reptiles should not concern residents in the areas they inhabit.

"They don't hurt anyone—only people with no sense," the CLCAC spokesperson told the ABC. "They're not a threat to the community."

In Queensland, it is illegal to deliberately harm or kill saltwater crocodiles, which are protected under the Nature Conservation Act of 1992. It is also illegal to be in possession of a deceased crocodile, or any body parts. The maximum penalty for the deliberate harm or killing of crocodiles in Queensland is $32,243 AUD, equivalent to $20,874 USD at the time of writing.

Newsweek has contacted the Queensland Department of Environment and Science via email for comment.