Major search continues after shock crocodile sighting near Bundaberg

The race is on to track down a crocodile reportedly spotted hundreds of miles outside ‘Croc Country’.

A member of the public reported a three-metre-long predator on a boat ramp on the Burnett River in Bundaberg in central Queensland last Friday, prompting a major response from the state’s environment department and conservationists.

The crocodile was reportedly observed coming out from under a tree and looking at the resident before raising its tail and disappearing into the water.

The witnesses spent an hour searching, but the crocodile never surfaced.

The sighting sparked a four-day search along a 14 kilometer stretch of waterway, from the Bundaberg Rum Distillery to the mouth of the river.

Nearly 100 hours of day and night patrols have still failed to reveal any signs of evidence of the reported crocodile, despite extensive search efforts.

“We were looking for the telltale signs of crocodiles, such as the red eyes that shine at night, claw marks and slide marks in the mud and flattened patches of grass on the banks,” said Joshua Morris, senior wildlife officer.

‘The investigation will continue this week, with soil surveys of the river again taking place both during the day and at night.

New warning signs have been installed at the site of the crocodile sighting on the Burnett River

‘We have not received any further sighting reports from members of the public and we intend to leave the recent crocodile sighting sign on the boat ramp in McGills Street in place until Friday if no further sightings are reported by then.’

Bundaberg is better known for its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and rum production than for its crocodile sightings.

If the initial report is true, the wayward crocodile would be the first seen this far south in a decade.

Bundaberg falls under the ‘Zone F’ designation in Queensland’s Crocodile Management Plan – an ‘atypical crocodile habitat’.

“Any crocodile confirmed to be present in Zone F will be automatically removed from the wild,” Mr Morris said.

Crocodiles in the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton, 300km north of Bundaberg, are believed to have the most southerly breeding population in the world.

Crocodiles are not known to roam as far south as Bundaberg, and there has not been a confirmed sighting in the area since 2014

“It is believed that the regions south of Rockhampton are too cold in winter to support crocodile populations,” Morris said.

‘Therefore, only two wandering crocodiles have been confirmed to be present outside Croc Country, and these two animals were removed from the Mary River in 2013 and 2014.’

The Boyne River, 170 km northwest of Bundaberg, is considered the southernmost boundary of ‘Croc Country’.

The rare sighting led to an official response that the Ministry of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation confirmed on Monday.

“I would like to reassure the community that conservationists investigate every crocodile sighting report we receive, and we will conduct a thorough investigation into this report,” Mr Morris said at the time.

‘We are asking people in the Bundaberg region to be vigilant around water during the investigation, which may continue into next week.

“That means keeping your children close and keeping your pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.”

Locals were urged to report potential sightings using the QWildlife app, on the DETSI website or by calling 1300 130 372.