They capture a giant crocodile to prevent it from reaching a populated area

SYDNEY (Reuters) .- Australian authorities captured
a saltwater crocodile nearly 5 meters long, one of the largest of which has a record, to prevent it from reaching an inhabited area, said Tuesday the Ministry of Tourism.

With a weight of 600 kg, the 60-year-old crocodile is the largest ever found on the Katherine River in Australia's far Northern Territory and has been relocated to live on a crocodile farm.

The largest crocodile captured in Australia is 6, 4 meters, according to the data of which one has a record. He was captured and killed in 1974, also in the Northern Territory.

Rangers captured the 4.7 meter male crocodile downstream of Katherine village on Monday after calming down, media reports said. They had been chasing it since they first spotted it in 2010.

Source: AP

"It was removed downhill from Katherine to avoid interactions with humans in more populated areas," said Tracey Duldig, director Acting Tourism and Culture "He was transferred to a crocodile farm in the Katherine area."

Known for its exotic and sometimes dangerous wildlife, including Tasmanian sharks and devils, Australia is home to over 150,000 crocodiles. Authorities systematically remove them from the population

In 2017, 371 crocodiles were captured by rangers in the cities of Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine of the Northern Territory, according to the website of the Ministry of Tourism. This year, 190 crocodiles were captured