A crocodile was terrorizing this Australian town, so residents cooked and ate it

Angus Watson, CNN

(CNN) — A distant Australian organization has taken revenge connected a monolithic saltwater crocodile by eating nan 3.6-meter (11.8-foot) beast blamed for devouring pets and chasing children.

On Wednesday, constabulary successful nan municipality of Bulla successful Australia’s Northern Territory changeable nan crocodile aft deeming it a “significant consequence to nan community.”

In a statement, Northern Territory Police said nan predator “had been stalking and lunging retired of nan h2o astatine children and adults” and had “also reportedly taken aggregate organization dogs.”

In a waste-conscious move, nan crocodile was “prepared for a feast successful nan accepted manner,” constabulary said, but not earlier authorities took nan opportunity to springiness section children an impromptu “crocodile information session,” including an “up-close look astatine nan dangers wrong our waterways.”

Speaking to nationalist broadcaster ABC, Northern Territory Police Sergeant Andrew McBride said nan animal was “cooked up into crocodile tail soup, he was connected nan barbecue, a fewer of nan pieces were wrapped up successful banana leaves and cooked underground.”

“It was a alternatively ample accepted feast and location were a fewer afloat bellies,” Sergeant McBride said.

Both nan saltwater and freshwater crocodile type are protected successful Australia, wherever hunting nan animals has been banned by national rule since 1971 – a clip erstwhile poaching had driven them adjacent to extinction.

Numbers person boomed successful nan decades since, pinch nan Northern Territory now location to immoderate 100,000 crocodiles, according to nan section government.

Thousands much crocodiles are distributed crossed nan northbound of neighboring states Queensland and Western Australia.

“Any assemblage of h2o successful The Top End whitethorn incorporate ample and perchance vulnerable crocodiles,” said authorities wildlife master Kristen Hay, utilizing a colloquial sanction for nan Northern Territory.

The territory’s website notes that saltwater crocodiles tin turn to 6 meters (20 feet), measurement up to a ton and “will eat conscionable astir anything.”

That intends interactions betwixt crocodiles and humans tin beryllium fatal, and parkland rangers crossed bluish Australia region hundreds of saltwater crocodiles from populated areas each year.

In April, a 16-year-old boy was killed by a crocodile successful bluish Queensland while attempting to aquatics to statement aft his vessel collapsed down. Last year, nan remains of a 64-year-old fisherman were recovered from wrong a crocodile, besides successful Queensland.

A 9-year-old boy was fortunate to past a crocodile onslaught successful nan Northern Territory’s Kakadu National Park successful January aft being hospitalized pinch “puncture wounds.”