A man has been killed by a giant saltwater crocodile as he was fishing with his wife in northern Australia.
The man, 57, was attacked by the 4.5-metre (15ft) reptile as he waded into the Adelaide River to unsnag his line, south of Darwin.
His wife heard a scream and turned around only to see “a tail splashing in the water”, officials said.
The body was found a few hours later, and the crocodile was shot dead by the police.
The man – whose name has not been released – is the fourth person to be killed by a crocodile in Australia’s Northern Territory this year.[eap_ad_2]
The attack took place in a stretch of the river close to where cruise ships show sightseers crocodiles leaping from the water to snatch chicken carcasses suspended from poles.
The killer crocodile is believed to be a rare half-albino who had regularly approached the cruise ships.
Crocodile numbers have increased since being declared a protected species in 1971. They are a common feature of Australia’s tropical north.
The Australian government rejected a controversial plan to allow crocodile safari hunting in the Northern Territory in March. (BBC)[eap_ad_3]
