Saltwater Crocodile Eats Shark in Queensland; Wildlife Officers Warn Public Against Feeding Crocs
A saltwater crocodile had an encounter with a shark that led to the latter's demise. The giant croc was caught on camera devouring the helpless shark.
Crocodile Vs. Shark
The incredible and terrifying sight of a massive saltwater crocodile devouring a shark is captured in a viral video. The stunning display highlights how unpredictable nature can be, but it also serves as a sharp reminder of the thin line between observation and meddling.
Michael Marlow, the man who filmed the encounter, claimed that he saw the rare occurrence on the afternoon of Feb. 8. He was unaware that there was a dead shark in the water and insisted that he did not place it there.
Initially, he thought the croc was beaching, but when it approached closer, he realized it was eating the shark. The sight was scary for him, especially since the crocodile didn't look very big in the water. However, when it got closer, he realized that it was massive.
Marlow used to live in the United States and only moved to Australia in 2017. He was unaware that he had to report crocodile sightings to the authorities. He admitted that he only found the encounter "amazing," so he filmed it and shared it on social media.
"I just thought it was wild - I've lived in a lot of places in the US and there's gators, but crocs over here are quite cool," he added.
Marlow has not been contacted by authorities regarding the video.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is now looking into the situation to find out if the shark was purposefully deployed to entice the crocodile to get attention on social media. In addition to being against the law, such behavior puts people and crocodiles at serious risk by perhaps teaching these apex predators to equate people with food.
This is not a unique instance. Human-crocodile encounters have increased in the past few months. Stories have surfaced of a crocodile leaping onto a man's boat and another hopping onto a pontoon. These incidents demonstrate how often crocodiles are intruding into areas where people live.
Wildlife Issues Warning
Wildlife officers reminded the public not to feed the crocodiles. They examine the incident to ensure it was not deliberately done for content.
According to the experts, based on previous incidents, they approach people for food when crocs are fed. Sometimes, the reptiles hang around in areas where the people previously provided them, expecting an easy meal.
However, this could place "unsuspecting people at risk and leave the animal vulnerable to being removed from the wild." Thus, it's best to leave them as is.
A couple went viral after they uploaded a video of them feeding an alligator. Many disapproved of what the pair did because it posed others at risk when they encountered alligators who associated people with food. One online user claimed that gators and crocs attacked people due to the said activity.
The warnings from Rockhampton's wildlife officers highlight the seriousness of the problem by reminding people that feeding crocodiles is against the Nature Conservation Regulation and is punishable by severe consequences.
RELATED ARTICLE: Homeowner Shot a 7-Foot Alligator 4 Times in the Head While the Beast Was Biting His Dog; FWC Will Not File Charges for the Killing
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