15-Foot Alligator Caught In Popular Australian Tourist Spot
(CBS News) -- Wildlife rangers said Tuesday that they had trapped a 15-foot saltwater crocodile, the largest they had ever caught in the northern Australian Katherine River and in an upstream region popular with tourists that is thought relatively safe from the killer predators.
Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife said it had trapped the 1,300-pound reptile on Monday more than 185 miles from the ocean.
It was captured only 19 miles downstream from Katherine Gorge, a major tourist attraction outside the Northern Territory town of Katherine.
Tourists swim, canoe and take cruises in the gorge among freshwater crocodiles, a different species that are small, timid and rarely harm humans.
Mid-year is the peak tourist season.
Ranger John Burke said authorities had been hunting the large crocodile in the area for a decade.
