Crocodile populations have soared since the Northern Territory banned hunting in the 1970s, but the dismal wet season has them trapped far from the Katherine River.
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Last year, Katherine's wildlife rangers were kept busy with an explosion of captures - ending on 23, it was a record.
From seizing the biggest croc in the area to date - measuring in at almost 5 metres long, car length - to seeing them in places they hadn't been before, rangers were hard pressed to keep their freshly baited traps free.
By this time last year, rangers had wrestled 11 from their management zone, which covers the Katherine River and further afield to the Daly River and Flora River nature park.
This year we are up to just three.
Ranger Chris Heydon was there for the majority of last year's captures and puts this year's slow pull down to the river height following a wet season which saw only half the average rain fall.
"They've been trapped at their breeding ground at the Daly River," he said.
"Our aerial surveys have shown there are quite a number of large crocs down there."
The Katherine River missed out on its yearly flush out, and barely rose above six metres - the record low was something long-term residents hadn't seen in years.
"When the river rises during the wet season and stays up, there is more chance for crocodiles to move around," ranger Heydon said.
"There are more crocodiles than ever before, but over the wet season they didn't get the chance to move around."
Restricted to one spot, the crocodiles will now be easier to capture before they do make their way up to the township, ranger Heydon said.
"Just because the river is low, doesn't mean they can't get up here - crocodiles can walk," he said.
"We are putting our traps in, it is a sink hole down there. If we can capture them there it means less up here."
Despite their location, crocodile numbers have exploded, with populations swelling to more than 100,000.
Their encroaching numbers sparked Katherine's mayor Fay Miller to call for controlled culling last year, after four large salties were caught in the Katherine area in just one week.
Culls have long been a topic of hot debate, dividing the town.
"I understand that some people will say we live in their home, but we're mixing with civilisation now," Mayor Miller said at the time.
"NT Parks and Wildlife rangers are doing a great job at catching and trapping.
"But we went from culling many moons ago to nothing at all and we've seen a significant increase.
"It's time for the government to start looking at control," she said.
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