Australians working to rescue whales stuck in crocodile-infested river
As many as 3 humpback whales could be stuck upstream.
Talk about an unpleasant houseguest.
An Australian fisherman is being investigated after he reportedly took a crocodile home with him last weekend.
The fisherman found the approximately 5-foot 6-inch [1.7-meter] saltwater crocodile in the Peter Faust Dam in Proserpine, Australia, on Saturday, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) said Tuesday.
According to the department, the man was allegedly night fishing from a boat on the dam when he thought he saw a crocodile’s eye.
He reportedly brought his boat closer to the eye and confirmed it was a crocodile, the DES said.
After that, he “captured and restrained” the croc and brought it home with him.
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But the fisherman’s houseguest didn’t stay around long.
According to the DES, the fisherman later called the department and asked wildlife officers to retrieve the crocodile. They did and took the croc to a zoo.
According to Nine News, the crocodile is now at a 175-acre Australian wildlife farm called Bredl’s Wild Farm.
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“DES wishes to remind the public that they should not harass or interfere with crocodiles, and that they run the risk of serious injuries if they approach, disturb or seek to interact with estuarine crocodiles of any size,” the department said in a press release.
An Australian fisherman recently brought a 5-foot crocodile (not pictured) home, before he called wildlife officials to remove the reptile from his house, according to authorities. (iStock)
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The department also warned that a crocodile as big as 5 feet 6 inches is “quite capable of inflicting serious injuries on a person, particularly when it is feeling threatened.”
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It is also illegal to “deliberately interfere with, harm or kill” a saltwater crocodile, the DES said. The maximum penalty is up to $30,026 AUD, which is about $21,429 USD.