A massive 3.5-metre saltwater crocodile has been spotted 60 kilometres from the coast in Biboohra, near Mareeba, south-west of Cairns, sparking fears it may have escaped from a nearby breeding farm.
Truck driver Dino Licitra photographed the reptile on Pickford Road on Tuesday, just a few hundred metres from Melaleuca Crocodile Farm. 'I've never seen a saltie in Mareeba before, it shouldn't be here,' he said. The sighting is at least the second in two weeks at Two Mile Creek, according to the Cairns Post.
Juergen Arnold from Melaleuca Crocodile Farm denied the crocodile had escaped, stating, 'We would have noticed if a 3.5 metre crocodile escaped.' However, Sam Musumeci, vice president of the Mareeba Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern, noting the proximity to the farm: 'It's just 500 metres away, so it's pretty hard to ignore.'
The Department of Environment and Science (DES) has set up a trap to capture the crocodile, but a spokesperson said they could not determine its origin. 'Crocodiles that pose a threat to human safety are targeted for removal under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan,' the spokesperson added.
