Australia 12-year-old girl probably killed by crocodile
A girl is missing in a remote area of the Northern Territory. She was probably the victim of a crocodile.
03.07.2024, 06:11
03.07.2024, 08:38
dpa
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- In the tropical north of Australia, emergency services are frantically searching for a 12-year-old girl who was probably attacked by a crocodile.
- The girl was last seen on Tuesday afternoon swimming in a watercourse called Mango Creek about 350 kilometers southwest of Darwin, according to reports.
In the tropical north of Australia, emergency services are frantically searching for a 12-year-old girl who was probably attacked by a crocodile. The girl was last seen on Tuesday afternoon swimming in a stream called Mango Creek about 350 kilometers southwest of Darwin, Australian media reported, citing police.
Investigators believe that the girl was attacked and killed by a crocodile. "Our thoughts are with the family and the community," said police spokeswoman Erica Gibson. Officers and residents were out in boats searching a large stretch of water near the Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga, it said.
Two fatal attacks per year
Both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles live in the region. Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to six meters long, are considered far more dangerous and extremely aggressive. Freshwater crocodiles, which can be up to three meters long and are known as "freshies", only attack humans if they feel threatened. However, the attacks are not usually fatal.
According to the Northern Territory government, more than 100,000 crocodiles live in the region. On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks per year throughout Australia. As recently as June, members of an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory shot and collectively ate a "problem crocodile" that had repeatedly approached animals and people.