Authorities in Australia have caught a saltwater crocodile measuring almost 5 meters (16.4 ft), one of the biggest on record, to stop it from reaching a populated area, the Department of Tourism said on Tuesday.
Weighing up to 600 kg (1,322 lb), the 60-year old crocodile is the biggest ever removed from the Katherine River in the remote Northern Territory.
It was moved to live out its days at a crocodile farm. The largest crocodile ever captured in Australia measured 6.4 meters, according to records. It was caught and killed in 1974, also in the Northern Territory.
Rangers caught the 4.7 meter (15.4 feet) male crocodile 60 km (37 miles) downstream from the town of Katherine, on Monday after sedating it, media reported. They had been hunting it since they first spotted it in 2010. Read more
