Traditional owners snap back over croc removal

Traditional owners of Rinyirru (Lakefield) Nationals Park in Far North Queensland said they were not consulted over the removal of a crocodile made famous by conservationist Steve Irwin.

The four-metre reptile, known as “Old Faithful’ was removed to Irwin’s Australia Zoo on three Sunshine Coast, after being dubbed a ‘danger’ to tourists.

Irwin had caught and released the crocodile in 1990.

“Old Faithful is a totemic animal for the Kuku Warra Aboriginal people and some family members have very strong and cultural connections to Old Faithful,” Rinyirru (Lakefield) Aboriginal Corporation chair Alwyn Lyall told SBS.

Steve and Terri Irwin pictured at their zoo in 1999.

And conservationist group Community Representation of Crocodile has protested Old Faithful’s rehoming.

Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation officer captured and removed the crocodile in September.

DETSI officials said tourists had been known to feed the animal, which lead to dangerous behaviour.

A spokesperson from DETSI told the Sydney Morning Herald that traditional owners were contacted and a number of options were considered before the move to Australia Zoo.

Statement

A statement from Australia Zoo said the reptile had been declared a ‘problem crocodile’ and was removed.

‘[So] we brought him to Australia Zoo to give the big guy a forever home,’ the zoo said.

Irwin died in 2006 at the peak of his career, after being pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef with Philippe Cousteau Jr.