RANGERS thought they were seeing double with another big saltwater crocodile trapped in the Nitmiluk Gorge today.
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The 3.92 metre croc is only five centimetres shorter than the beast pulled from exactly the same trap a few weeks ago.
At that time, rangers said they believed it was the biggest they had ever pulled from the area.
Only 10 had been trapped in a decade, now they have two in a month – and big ones at that.
After today’s catch of a second large croc in the gorge, the record books are being re-written.
“It is more than likely there are more as well,” NT Parks and Wildlife ranger Erin Britton said.
Erin was sitting astride the big beast today to mark sure no swishes of the giant tail knocked over some excited Katherine South Primary School students who had lined up for a look and a touch.
“It’s a bit dinosaur-ey,” one of the students said.
“This one swam up the Katherine River, right through Katherine,” popular ranger Clare Pearce told the students.
The Crocwise message in Katherine schools is to take care around local waterways because of the increasing presence of big crocs like those pulled from the gorge in the past month.
An even bigger croc was only caught at a property near Pine Creek NT earlier in the month.
More than a quarter of million tourists visit the gorge each year, which rivals Kakadu as one of the NT’s best drawcards.
Only 10 saltwater crocodiles have been taken from Nitmiluk Gorge since 2006.
“The trap sits there all year round. It is the only active croc management we do at this time of the year,” senior wildlife ranger Andrew McPhee said.