David Gardiner

Journalist

It is possible that another crocodile killed ‘Lizzie’, one of the Daintree River’s favourite resident crocodiles – also known to some as the ‘Queen’ – recently.

That’s the view of conservationist Tommy Hayes, who has been keeping a close eye on the region’s wildlife – and who is still pushing for a proper investigation of the death of a large male crocodile, decapitated at Cow Bay in April.

A man called a Daintree croc tour operator in May, claiming to have killed both Lizzie and the Cow Bay crocodile but he did not identify himself. Lizzie’s remains – consisting of just the animal’s head and spine – were found near a tour operator’s pontoon in the Daintree three weeks ago.

But Mr Hayes, who continues to pressure the Department of Environment and Science (DES) into doing its utmost to find whoever is responsible for the Cow Bay crocodile’s death, believes there’s little or no link between the two deaths and no similarities between how they died.

“You take the head of one crocodile, why do you leave another crocodile in a tidal river where it can be washed away?” Mr Hayes pointed out. “I mean, you take one head, and leave the other? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“There was another crocodile hanging around that does kill other crocodiles.”

Fears of ‘copycat’ actions

While not supportive of the theory that the two deaths are linked, he is worried that if the Cow Bay death is not properly investigated, similar attacks on crocodiles could re-occur.

“I think it could happen again because of the attention that’s being brought to this. There are copycats and there’re all these ----heads who are doing these videos and stuff.”

Mr Hayes, also an avid photographer and videographer who with his cameras follows the lives of many crocodiles all over north and far north Queensland, said despite some comments in favour of crocodile culling and ‘hate’ posts, there have been many positives from the deaths of the two crocs and the resulting media and social media publicity.

“The support far outweighs the hate,” he said. “Phenomenal! I had like a thousand followers on the 14th of April, as of today I think I’ve got 42,000 or something.”

He has received messages from all over: within Australia and from around the world.

“So many people have said ‘look, I didn’t care one way or another about crocodiles, but seeing your videos, seeing what’s happening, the negatives and positives brought to my attention have changed my view’. Heaps of people have written that.”