A community in Australia turned a crocodile from a threat into a feast

A salty water crocodile is no longer threatening a remote Aboriginal community in Australia after being killed and turned into a feast for local residents.

The 12-foot-tall “troublesome crocodile” had been stalking and attacking children and adults since moving into the Baines River following floods earlier this year, Northern Territory Police said. said in a statement Wednesday. He also allegedly kidnapped several pet dogs.

The river is about 250 meters from the homes, police said.

Following consultations with elders and traditional owners in the community of Bulla, as well as Parks and Wildlife officials, the crocodile was captured and shot on Tuesday “to ensure it did not continue to pose a significant risk to the community”, said the police.

He was then transported to Bulla, “where the community prepared him for a celebration in the traditional way”.

Sergeant Andrew McBride told Australian public broadcaster ABC that the crocodile was “prepared in crocodile tail soup, it was on the barbecue, some pieces were wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground”.

“It was quite a big traditional celebration and there were some full bellies,” he said.

McBride said crocodiles have been “appearing where they have never been seen before” following severe flooding in the area earlier this year.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living crocodile and reptile species in the world. There are around 100,000 of them in the wild in the Northern Territory, where they have been protected from mass slaughter and hunting since 1971.

Citing the threat to human security, Northern Territory authorities released a 10-year-old document management plan this year, this increases the number of crocodiles that can be removed annually from 300 to 1,200.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with