Queensland wildlife officers are working to capture a 3-metre crocodile spotted in the Mary River near Maryborough, with specialist teams now playing a “waiting game” as they monitor the area for the right moment to act.
The crocodile was first reported on Tuesday by a local council worker near Dundathu, roughly 6 kilometres downstream from Maryborough. In response, crocodile management units from the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) were deployed from Rockhampton and Townsville.
The reptile was seen again on Wednesday evening and several times since in the same area. DETSI principal wildlife ranger Dinouk Perera said the teams were preparing to use either a noose or a skin harpoon to secure the animal.
“It’s a bit of a waiting and assessment game until the right conditions line up for us to use our capture techniques,” Mr Perera said on Friday.
He emphasised that a direct capture was the preferred approach to ensure a swift and safe outcome, and urged the public to stay away from the area while the operation is underway.
Once the crocodile is caught, traditional owners will be consulted before it is relocated to a crocodile farm or zoo.
Mr Perera noted that it’s not yet clear how the crocodile ended up so far south—about 200 kilometres beyond its usual range—but suggested recent rainfall, territorial behavior, or natural wandering could be factors. He added, “We don’t believe this is a crocodile that has been living in the area long-term.”
Andrew Richardson, a laboratory technician from Wide Bay Water, was conducting water sampling on a boat when he saw the crocodile around 11:15am Tuesday.
“We spotted it maybe 15 to 20 metres away,” he said. “It slipped back into the water before we could get a clear photo.”
Richardson documented the sighting with images of the crocodile’s slide marks and reported the evidence to DETSI.
This is the first confirmed crocodile sighting in the Mary River in over a decade. The last recorded incident was in 2014, when a 3.8-metre crocodile was captured and relocated to a Rockhampton crocodile farm. Earlier this year, crocodile sightings were also reported at Inskip Point in February and Bundaberg in January.
