SYDNEY, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- In the far north Australian township of Miallo, a giant four-meter crocodile has taken up residence in a local creek.
Fearful of the harm and possible danger to the surrounding community, the Queensland State Department of Environment and Science (DES) recently announced plans to remove the potentially man-eating monster.
The only problem, however, is that locals have grown to like Howard, the crocodile, and over 500 people living in the area have now signed a petition, urging the state government to let him stay.
"People from all over the world come to see crocodiles in North Queensland," Douglas Shire resident Jo Black who started the Change.org petition, told the Cairns Post Newspaper on Friday.
"What will you do, when there are no crocs for tours to showcase their beauty?"
So well liked in the tropical community, Howard has even made a long-lasting friendship with a 10-year-old school boy.
"I'm very saddened that Howard is being moved away from his home," Elroy Woods wrote in a letter to the Queensland state government.
"I lived at Bamboo Creek Road for five years, right on Saltwater Creek."
"I loved watching Howard the crocodile sun bake and enjoyed seeing him from the bridge every afternoon."
"Nobody swims in this creek, ever, and he has never been a problem crocodile."
Somewhat sympathetic to the plight of Howard and his hometown human friends, a DES spokesperson said "Crocodiles that pose a threat to human safety are targeted for removal under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan."
"(However) the department must work to achieve a balance between the need to protect public safety, and the need to conserve estuarine crocodile populations in the wild," the spokesperson said.
"While a trap has been set for the crocodile, it has not yet been captured. DES continues to target this crocodile for removal from Salt Water Creek."
