SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Crocodiles, which had been hunted to near extinction in the Australian state of Queensland decades ago, have slowly re-established their populations, according to environmental scientists.
Queensland Department of Environment and Science Wildlife program coordinator Matt Brien, who led an extensive three-year study into the ancient reptiles, said their number was up to about 30,000, with the biggest population being in the Cape York Peninsula in the state's far north.
"The population recovery has been relatively slow and highly variable since the unregulated hunting of estuarine crocodiles for their skins was banned (in the 1970s)," Brien said.
He noted, however, that extensive helicopter and boat surveys across thousands of kilometers of river systems showed there were only limited nesting habitats throughout Queensland's "croc country" which meant the population number was not expected to reach those of other northern regions of Australia.
The average size of the crocs has also decreased, Brien said, attributing the state government's management program, where individual animals deemed as being public threats were removed from the wild, more than 450 crocs were sent to zoos or crocodile farms from 2004 to 2019.
The latest survey results have been greeted enthusiastically by Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon, who said it was "good news from a conservationist perspective".
Scanlon said the state government would invest 12 million Australian dollars (about 8.84 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years for crocodile population management and the ongoing Croc Wise program, a public safety campaign concentrating on areas such as beaches and watering holes where the carnivorous predators have been sighted.
"It remains crucial for people to continue to be vigilant when in croc country, whether that's following the signage, reporting crocodiles, staying away from croc traps and fishing safely," Scanlon said. Enditem
