Crocodile Kills 12-Year-Old Girl in Australia, Renewing Risks Posed by Saltwater Crocodiles

A crocodile attack in Northern Territory, Australia, recently led to the death of a 12-year-old girl, whose body has been recovered near a river, believed to be infested by saltwater crocodiles. The girl's mutilated remains were found on Thursday, July 4, by emergency and rescue personnel after her initial disappearance launched a search operation that lasted for nearly two days, according to Australian authorities.

Local reports said the reptile attacked and snatched the girl while she was swimming in a river in the Indigenous community of Palumpa earlier this week. The area is located southwest of the state capital city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The recent Australian crocodile attack renews the risks posed by saltwater crocodiles in the state. In recent years, related attacks have occurred in other parts of the country.

Australia Crocodile Attack

Crocodile Kills 12-Year-Old Girl in Australia's Northern Territory, Renewing Risks Posed by Saltwater Crocodiles in the State — SYDNEY, NSW - JANUARY 23: A Saltwater Crocodile is pictured at the Australian Reptile Park January 23, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. The Saltwater Crocodile, the world's largest reptile, is one of Australia's deadliest animals, and the continent's only wild animal that actively hunts human beings which stray into it's territory. Australia is home to some of the most deadly and poisonous animals on earth.
(Photo : Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

In a statement to the media on Friday, July 5, Northern Territory leader, Chief Minister Eva Lawler, stated that the local crocodile population should not outnumber the human population in the Australian state. Lawler's statement came in the context of the recent Australian crocodile attack in the Northern Territory, which only has more than 250,000 human inhabitants with their reptilian counterparts rising in numbers.

The saltwater crocodile population has had a significant increase in North Australia since the 1970s when the Australian Government placed the said species under the protection of the law. Since then, the population of the reptiles increased from 3,000 to 100,000 as of July 2024. Because of the population growth of both humans and crocodiles in the state, incidents of wildlife conflict with some ending in fatalities have been recorded for decades.

Also Read: Missing Fisherman Prompts Widespread Australia Crocodile Hunt for Two Monster Reptiles

Saltwater Crocodile Threat

Saltwater crocodile population in the Northern Territory are greater than those of Western Australia and Queensland, the Northern Territory State Government reported. Estimated to be around 100,000 mature individuals, the crocodiles in the Northern Territory can mostly be found in the state's coastal areas, including coastal wetlands, rivers, and other waterways. These wild animals can also attack humans entering their territories.

Although wildlife experts assert that fatal crocodile attacks are rare, these incidents still do occur. Large crocodilians such as the saltwater crocodile and the Nile crocodile pose more threat to humans than their smaller counterparts. In recent years, there have been various crocodile attacks in different countries worldwide.

In 2022, a construction worker's remains were found inside the stomach of a 13-foot saltwater crocodile in Indonesia. Before his death, the victim was swimming in a bay when the reptile dragged him underwater and was eaten alive. Angry locals then found the attacker with a bloated stomach containing the construction worker.

In April 2024, a 16-year-old boy died from a crocodile attack in Torres Strait, located between Australia and New Guinea. Searches conducted by wildlife officers led to the identification of the crocodile responsible for the attack and euthanized it.