I often saw fishermen and their spouses sitting on the bank where this man was
taken. They usually identified themselves as Vietnamese. Although I always
warned them about crocodiles I never saw them change their behaviour.
Denise
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
PO Box 71
Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
PhD candidate
Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory
043 8650 835
On 19 Aug 2014, at 5:03 pm, martin cachard <> wrote:
> I must say I've spent many mornings sitting very watchfully & cautiously
> under the mangroves (on the north side of the bridge over the Adelaide River
> on the hwy on the eastern bank a few metres back from the water). I was
> always amazed at the size of some of the crocs floating along the river,
> especially heading upstream under the bridge with what I believe must have
> been the in-coming tide - some were huge!! in one hour one morning I counted
> 25 crocs sailing past all heading up-river & most were 15 ft long minimum!!!
> certainly a great spot for Mangrove Golden Whistlers & Arafura Fantails, but
> I have to concur with Denise, please be very careful if u ever go there!!
>
> even more astonishing for me was the size & abundance of the crocs at Shady
> Camp on the lower Mary River - what a spot!! there were at least 5 or 6 big
> monster crocs hanging there that must have been 20ft or longer - one
> individual was the biggest male I've ever seen, & I've seen a LOT of crocs!!
> this guy was a minimum 25ft, no kidding!!
> what was most alarming about this spot was the teenage boys & their fathers
> actually fishing from the banks at dusk standing within ONE metre of the
> shoreline right where the crocs were - i'm not kidding, it was gob-smackingly
> dumb!! I told them about the crocs I had seen there that day, & they just
> dismissed it with a chorus of "yeah mate, she'll be right mate, thanx!!" then
> all had a swig...
> honestly, some people....!!
>
> cheers,
> martin cachard,
> cairns
>
>
>
> > Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 14:39:43 +0930
> > To:
> > CC:
> > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] crocodile attack at Adelaide River
> > From:
> >
> > Yes he did wade into the river, I believe. In another recent attack a bloke
> > was apparently dragged out of his dinghy.
> >
> > I’ve heard several reports of people who live in the area, including
> > children, being lunged at by crocodiles as they fished or stood on the
> > landings or the banks. In the past a few residents have told me they’ve
> > complained about the cruises for this reason.
> >
> > Denise
> >
> > Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
> > PO Box 71
> > Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
> >
> > PhD candidate
> >
> >
> > Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
> > Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory
> > 043 8650 835
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 19 Aug 2014, at 2:09 pm, Jeremy O'Wheel <> wrote:
> >
> > > ABC news are reporting that there's never been a person attacked in a
> > > boat at Adelaide River, and that the fisherman in the last attack had
> > > waded into the river to un-snag his fishing line.
> > >
> > > Jeremy
> > >
> > >
> > > On 19 August 2014 14:04, Charles Hunter via Birding-Aus
> > > <> wrote:
> > > Hi Denise,
> > >
> > > When I was in the Top End last year I visited the Adelaide River and did
> > > the croc cruises.
> > >
> > > I was amazed (like most people on the boat) at how high the 4 metre plus
> > > crocodiles could jump to get the chickens attached to the rope.
> > >
> > > After seeing crocodiles behave in this manner, I personally would never
> > > fish (or bird watch) in a tinny in any parts of northern Australia.
> > >
> > > After the croc cruise we stopped at other parts of the Adelaide River and
> > > saw many crocodiles.....
> > >
> > > Two weeks ago Dad and I saw a 4m plus croc in one of the permanent water
> > > holes in Lakefield N.P. (Queensland).
> > >
> > > At Iron Range N.P. a couple of days later the Ranger told us to be very
> > > careful bird watching close to the deep pools in the rivers and streams
> > > due to crocs (even in the dry season).
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Charles
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tuesday, 19 August 2014 1:39 PM, Denise Goodfellow via Birding-Aus
> > > <> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Since the early 1980s I’ve been taking birders to this area of the
> > > Adelaide River, mainly looking for Mangrove Golden Whistler.
> > >
> > > Having more experience with crocodiles than most, I’m very careful with
> > > clients. Firstly I scout the area to ensure no crocs are lying under the
> > > trees, and then I keep clients keep several metres away from banks.
> > > Occasionally twitchers behave stupidly, one of the reasons why I’m not
> > > very keen on taking some of them. Jim Zimmer of San Diego made me tell
> > > his birding club what I say to such people!
> > >
> > > My Aboriginal son, Reverend P. Nganjmirra, a traditional Kunwinjku man,
> > > said there were more big crocodiles around now that in his grandfather's
> > > time, probably because of the introduction of stock. Whether there is now
> > > a reduction of cattle, buffalo and horses I don’t know. But from the
> > > attack on the South Alligator River recently, where a man was dragged out
> > > of his dinghy it seems that some crocodiles may be targeting the next
> > > biggest item in the food chain.
> > >
> > > Anyway, I suggest that birders be very careful when around Top End
> > > waterways. Avoid hiring small dinghies for a start, and no matter what
> > > the twitch don’t go near the water!
> > >
> > > Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
> > > PO Box 71
> > > Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
> > >
> > > PhD candidate
> > >
> > >
> > > Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
> > > Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern
> > > Territory
> > > 043 8650 835
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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