Crocodile shot dead after attacking Alister MacPhee at Bloomfield boat ramp, near Cairns
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The monstrous crocodile that savagely attacked a boat and its dog is shot dead and rangers make a grim find inside its stomach
- Alister MacPhee attacked by crocodile
- The reptile ate his dog at the Bloomfield boat ramp
- Wildlife officers shot the alligator Thursday night
A 4.2-metre crocodile that attacked a man and ate his dog in far north Queensland was shot dead by wildlife officers and rangers found the fisherman’s beloved pet inside its stomach.
Alister MacPhee and his dog were going for a swim on Wednesday night at the Bloomfield boat ramp, north of Cairns, when the reptile came out of the shallows, latched on to his leg and knocked him over.
The 37-year-old freed himself from the crocodile’s grasp, but it quickly pounced on his dog, dragging it underwater.
MacPhee sustained injuries to his lower leg and was airlifted to Cairns Hospital, where he refused to discuss the incident.
Parks and Wildlife rangers found the same alligator about 200 yards from where the attack occurred and shot it to death Thursday night.
Alister MacPhee and his dog were going for a swim on Wednesday night at the Bloomfield boat ramp, north of Cairns, when the reptile came out of the shallows, latched on to his leg and knocked him off his feet.
“This crocodile has established an association between food and humans and that is an unacceptable risk to the community and therefore we had to act,” incident controller Michael Joyce said Friday.
“Most of our wildlife officers are trained to shoot crocodiles from a moving boat.
“Shooting a crocodile is a one-time process, it’s a very difficult job to do and one that they train a lot for and are very skilled at doing.
‘Imagine from a moving ship, from one or 200 m away, shooting a 50 cent coin. That’s basically what they have to do.
Rangers later found the dog’s remains inside the reptile’s stomach.
Alister MacPhee, 37, was bitten on the leg by the crocodile, before his dog was also mutilated.
The Bloomfield River is a known crocodile habitat, Joyce said, so the incident should be a warning for people to be careful.
“Swimming in the country of crocodiles is an option,” he added.
“I suggest to people that if they want to protect themselves, their families and their pets, they make good decisions.”
Images of the shocking attack previously emerged.
Mr. MacPhee’s dog showed up to try to save his owner from the crocodile before he was taken away.
Mr. MacPhee is then seen desperately throwing punches at the crocodile before it dragged the animal into the water.
A nearby ranger rushed to Mr MacPhee’s aid and he was treated at the Wujal Wujal clinic before a rescue helicopter took him to Cairns Hospital in stable condition.