Crocodiles, especially the saltwater crocodile or Saltie. Females can grow to 12 feet, males can grow to 21 feet. Saltwater is a misnomer, they are found in rivers, lagoons, swamps as well as the ocean. Salties eat mainly small reptiles, fish, turtles, wading birds but they can also kill and eat wild pigs, buffaloes, cattle and horses. These crocs are fiercely territorial. One or two people in Australia die from Salties, many more are attacked each year. Obeying the signs, staying out of croc filled water is essential. Crocodiles were hunted to near extinction so in 1974 they were made a protected species. Now it is illegal to shoot crocodiles. They are raised in legally licensed crocodile farms, which then sell the meat and hides.
Darwin harbor sets crocodile traps, collecting 250 to 300 each year which are sent to crocodile farms. Photo of croc sunning himself on top of trap.
The freshwater crocodile, Freshie, can grow to 7 to 9 feet in length. They are timid and rarely attack humans unless cornered.
TOAL-Trip of a Lifetime 