Crocodiles cannot outnumber people in Australian territory where girl was killed, leader says

APNews - 05/07
The leader of Australia’s Northern Territory says the crocodile population must be either maintained or reduced and cannot be allowed to outstrip the human population.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Crocodile numbers in Australia’s Northern Territory must be either maintained or reduced and cannot be allowed to outstrip the human population, the territory’s leader said after a 12-year-old girl was killed while swimming.

The crocodile population has exploded across Australia’s tropical north since it became a protected species under Australian law in the 1970s, growing from 3,000 when hunting was outlawed to 100,000 now. The Northern Territory has just over 250,000 people.

The girl’s death came weeks after the territory approved a 10-year plan for management of crocodiles, which permits the ta...
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