The man-eater that killed a father of five on Monday has been caught. After another night of waiting with no result, this afternoon croc catcher Vince Rose and a team of young men from Lord's Bank took action: they dug the Morelets Crocodile out of his lair and captured him. It turns out to be a 12 foot mature male - and it was properly subdued, and bound on site. Rose told Monica Bodden about his capture:..
Vince Rose - Owner, ACES
"Last night zero activity, he didn't go for any of my traps, any of my snares, any of my chicken - he didn't go for anything anywhere nor did I see him last night. This morning I went out and checked about 5:30 this morning and he still hadn't gone for any of my traps. I went back there about 8:30 and there was a local kid who said that he say the croc, so he bring me back there and we saw the croc and then I notice that he had a house/den right there because he kept sticking his head and in and out and so I knew that where his house was. Meanwhile about 10 more local boys showed up and they insisted on digging the croc out of his hole. So at that point I said what the heck (they got more muscle and energy that I do), I am not sitting and digging, I would have just set my trap and walk away, but they dug him out and as soon as they saw his head and we were able to get his head up they came over and got me. I was setting up my trap and then we top-jawed him and with those guys they pulled him out and now he is here and it is the very croc that charged me the first night because he has two white marks on his tail that I identified, so this is the croc."
"He measured out at almost 11 feet. He is missing about a foot and a half of his tail. He probably weighs 500 pounds, maybe 550, he is probably underweight by 100 pounds. He is probably about anywhere from 45 - 55 years old. They don't get this big for being stupid, they get this big being smart and hiding from people. He did his job, he hide really well. Once he knew that we were hinting him from my first night - he hid in his old hole and once we found where that hole was and those guys dug him out, it was a done deal. It all work good, the community came together and these guys I give them a big hand, they help me out - I wasn't going to dig a croc out of his hole, it would have took me all day."
The Chief Forest Officer today told us that the crocodile has been put down, and he will be burnt and buried. He says this is the standard treatment for man easters that have lost fear of humans.
As we've reported, the crocodile killed 47 year old Benque Resident Carl Diaz who was fishing in the area on Monday. He would have pulled Diaz below the depths but another man fishing in the area scared the croc off.
The Forestry department is now collaborating to set traps for the other croc on the Western Highway which attacked a 13 year old and his brother in law on Tuesday.
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