Debate about croc numbers reignited in Australia

Rex, a 700-kilo saltwater crocodile, is confined at Wildlife Sydney Zoo, but wild populations are rising, reigniting the debate about controlling them. -AFP filepic

SYDNEY: Saltwater crocodile numbers have exploded in northern Australia since being declared a protected species, and a spate of recent attacks has reignited debate about controlling them.

The giant predators, which can grow up to seven metres (23 feet) long and weigh more than a tonne, haunt waterways in the country’s north with government estimates putting the national population at approximately 100,000.