Death of a Huge Crocodile Could Trigger Power Struggle

Saltwater crocodile

A huge saltwater crocodile was recently found dead in the Fitzroy River in Queensland, Australia. The crocodile was identified as a 17 foot-long male, which had been shot in the head and discovered by a local farmer named John Leaver who spotted the animal's carcass floating in the river. He stated that it has been around 2-3 decades since such a gigantic crocodile was found in Queensland. He further added that the animal had been shot in the head and based on the damage to its skull, the bullet may have come from a quite large caliber rifle and the user must have "felt very threatened." The crocodile was taken to a nearby farm where an autopsy will be conducted before its burial. According to Michael Joyce, southern operations director from Queensland's Environment Heritage Protection (EHP), the crocodile was estimated to be between 80 and 100 years old. He further added that the death of this majestic crocodile may spark a power struggle between younger males, as they compete for dominance and therefore becoming more aggressive. This means that people living in the area could be at great risk of attack from these crocodiles and should be extra careful over the coming days and weeks.

Fitzroy River at dawn

The death of this gigantic crocodile is a clear indication of how human beings interfere with the pecking order of various species of animals. Before this crocodile died, all the smaller and younger males kept well clear of him and knew their individual places in the hierarchy. Although crocodiles are solitary by nature, they congregate in certain parts of rivers and usually tolerate one another. However, that is not the case with the saltwater crocodile which is the most aggressive and territorial of the crocodiles. It is so aggressive, that a large male will not tolerate the presence of any other male in his territory. Therefore, the largest and heaviest males have the most status and having access to the best basking sites. So when a large male crocodile is killed, it will deliberately create a power vacuum amongst younger males as they fight for dominance thus changing the balance of Fitzroy River's crocodile population. Local residents should be advised to be extra careful and the waterways of the Fitzroy River should be intensively patrolled to check for any suspicious human activity that could spell disaster for crocodiles and other wildlife.

View article here