Police in Australia search for child allegedly attacked by crocodile

Police in Australia’s Northern Territory were searching on Wednesday for a 12-year-old child who was believed to have been attacked by a crocodile.

The child was reported missing on Tuesday evening and was last seen swimming in a creek in Palumpa, a remote community of about 350 people located seven hours’ drive from the territory’s capital, Darwin, where initial reports said there had been a crocodile attack.

“Local officials are on scene and our thoughts are with the family and community,” Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement.

“Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek using boats and we thank the community for their continued support.”

It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 saltwater crocodiles living in the wild in the Northern Territory. They have been protected from mass killings and hunting since 1971. They are the largest species of crocodile in the world and can grow up to six metres long. However, fatal attacks on humans are relatively rare.

Last month, an estuarine crocodile that had reportedly attacked people and snatched pets in another part of the area was caught, killed and prepared as a feast for local residents.

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