TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN (Australia) 06 February 07 Motorists beware (Jessica Johnston)
Crocodiles have taken up residence on North Queensland highways and streets as heavy rain flushes them out of hiding.
Towns either side of Townsville are under siege by rogue reptiles that have been flushed from river systems and streams.
Police are warning motorists not to wade into flood waters after five separate crocodile sightings on roads either side of the city.
In the latest incident, a cranky saltwater crocodile swam directly at a police car on a flooded section of the Bruce Highway near Ingham yesterday.
And a Giru farmer was bitten after he tried to take a happy snap with a snappy freshwater croc.
Ingham police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Eric Derby said a 3.5m crocodile had charged at a police four-wheel drive that invaded its turf at Cattle Creek about 2am yesterday.
"Two police officers who were on night shift were checking out the water depth at Cattle Creek," Sen-Sgt Derby said.
"They were crossing the creek in their four-wheel drive when they noticed the croc about 20m away.
"It turned and started swimming directly towards them, but when it got about 5m away it turned and high-tailed it in the opposite direction."
Sen-Sgt Derby said the officers were shocked, but not surprised to see the defensive reptile on the highway.
He said a similar size crocodile had been seen in the area last Thursday.
"We see them quite regularly around that area, it's well known that we have a couple that live around that bridge.
"But people should not be walking into flooded waterways.
"If you are forced to stop, stay in your car and do not go near the water's edge."
Acting Sergeant Geoff Parkinson of Giru police said residents had reported a number of rogue reptiles in their township.
One resident reported seeing a family of salties, including a six metre, a three metre and several babies, in the dam just a couple of hundred metres from town on Friday.
The next day, another resident saw a 2m reptile on a residential street behind the Giru State School.
But Sgt Parkinson said a snappy freshwater crocodile had ended up causing the most concern for one Giru resident.
"A farmer found a small freshwater croc on his property just near here. Apparently he picked it up for a photo – and it bit him," Sgt Parkinson said.
"He wasn't seriously injured, it was only a small freshy, but it obviously wasn't very happy."
Sgt Parkinson urged residents to exercise common sense around flooded waterways.
"It's just common sense stuff really. People have been standing fishing at the AIMS turn-off, wading through water, which could be potentially dangerous.
"In Giru, kids have been playing in the stormwater drains, the water is dirty and you can't see what's in it. There could be crocodiles and snakes.
"I certainly wouldn't be letting my kids swim in there."
But Sgt Parkinson said there had been no sign of the elusive four-metre croc that Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service staff had tried to trap in recent weeks.
Motorists beware