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rocodiles - they have long taken by predators. Life outside the shell Shedding A Crocodile Tear
fascinated the human imagination isn’t easy, so it’s a small miracle any of them It was a wild time in Tropical North
in folklore and myths as symbols survive their first year - being the “chicken Queensland (TNQ) during the 1940’s all the
Cof strength, confidence and nuggets” on Mother Nature’s menu means a way until the 70’s. In these decades it was
resilience. Seemingly immortal, their staggering 99% of them will be eaten, that’s open season for crocodile hunting, meaning
plight reminds us that life is precious and even with a whopping 40 - 90 eggs being anyone with a boat and a gun was in the
should be embraced at all costs. Through laid. Despite Mum’s best efforts she can’t handbag business. The allure of adventure
millions of years of existence, it’s the take care of them all. and the opportunity to make a mint by selling
crocodile’s spirit that gives life and power. The carnivorous critters that make it to the saltie’s soft underbelly overseas brought
Reflective of the people who call Tropical maturity become the undisputed champs of on avid breed of “Crocodile Hunters”.
North Queensland home, there’s a mutual the waterways. Covered in armour, a mouth Crikey, with all the hurly burly of pop up
resilience to what nature throws at them and full of gnarly teeth and a powerful jaw force croc shooting safaris, crocs strung up in trees
both are always up for a “chinwag”, well that can crush lawnmowers matched with
ready for skinning, suddenly something
in a much different sense. The people here a “give no F’s attitude” strikes fear in the unprecedented started to happen that hadn’t
have a definite affinity for these magnificent animal kingdom. in more than 250 million years to an animal
beasts with a relationship status that says that outlasted T-Rex and world wars one
“It’s complicated”
“CONSEQUENTLY & two … they were declining in devasting
numbers. It was closing in on the demise of
In A Land Before Time NOWADAYS, SALTWATER a species that’s greatest skill was to survive.
A Dinosour Survives CROCODILES ARE THE To put those times in a bit of perspective let
There aren’t too many places in the world MOST MASSIVE OF ALL me tell you a story of old Miss Potvin: You
that boast awe-inspiring natural wonders LIVING REPTILES AND ARE see, hearsay tells the tale of a tough as nails,
that have escaped time, but exploring rugged as guts sheila who religiously went
Port Douglas Daintree is different from THE LARGEST TERRESTRIAL on outings in her aluminium tinny, rifle in
anywhere else in the world. The area is APEX PREDATORS IN THE hand and would trawl down croc known
full of everlasting life from long, long ago. WORLD.” rivers during dusk and dawn. When she
With more than 50,000 years of Indigenous spotted something lurking beneath, she’d
culture, a 500,000 years young Great Barrier lock and load, look the coldblooded beast
Reef to the world’s oldest living Daintree Saltwater Crocodiles spend much of their in their glowing eyes and shoot them dead.
Rainforest, seriously this place is like time in water, and contrary to the name As it’s told, old Miss Potvin single handedly
stepping into Jurassic Park. they are often found in freshwater systems. took the skins of more than 10,000 (yes ten
However, there is one resident older than all Stealthy and cunning, their eyes, nostrils thousand) plus crocodiles.
of these combined - the remarkable Saltwater and ears are on top of their heads to ensure Full disclosure, the tale of Miss Potvin may
or Estuarine Crocodile, trotting the earth for that they know what’s going on all around not be totally accurate because during those
more than 250 million years. Even when them while their bodies are completely times there was no true documentation of
Mother Nature hit the reset button during submerged. Faster than an Olympic the unregulated hunting of crocs. It was fair
the Ice Age, crocs haven’t had too much of swimmer in the water by swaying their game – every man and croc for themselves,
a makeover. When you’re the poster boy for jacked tails from side to side, they also and in this instance, it was man who was the
survival, evolution likes to see how things have a pretty impressive vertical leap and aggressor. The killer.
will play out. Crocodiles have been alive they can run incredibly fast, though not for Sadly, this does highlight the croc hunting
so long they are considered living fossils very long, phew! Short of flying, crocs are fever of the time. It wasn’t until the mid-
– that’s in the same category as Horseshoe dangerous everywhere. Plus, they coined a 1960s when punters started to take notice
Crabs and Keith Richards. sinister move called the “death roll” - that’s that their bread and butter was getting
Consequently nowadays, Saltwater Crocodiles when they drag their prey underwater and harder to find. As a result of the hunting
are the most massive of all living reptiles spin it around like a toddler who’s had one pressure for designer goods, this led to a
and are the largest terrestrial apex predators too many lollies. near genocide of Saltwater Crocodiles. It’s
in the world. Sounds grim right? However, There is little wonder that they are the believed 95% of the prehistoric wonders had
they come from a humble start in life. You throwback dinosaurs, making them the been wiped out of TNQ.
see baby crocodiles (side note – they are the modern-day alpha animal. Everything about Crocodile liberation came in 1971 when
cutest things out when hatched) are often them is truly terrifying and fascinating. governments started to declare them a
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 15