A 4.2-metre crocodile that attacked a man and ate his dog in far north Queensland has been shot dead by wildlife officers.
Alister MacPhee and his dog Magic Molly were going for a Wednesday evening dip at Bloomfield boat ramp, north of Cairns, when the reptile erupted from the shallows, latched onto his leg and knocked him over.
The 37-year-old broke free from the crocodile’s clutches, but it quickly snapped onto his dog and dragged her underwater.
Footage of the attack shows MacPhee frantically punching the predator as it drags Molly into the depths before he stumbles to safety.
He suffered injuries to his lower leg and was airlifted to Cairns Hospital.
MacPhee thanked emergency staff and paid tribute to his beloved dog but did not elaborate on the attack itself.
“While I am recovering from my injuries, I am asking people to please respect my privacy,” he said in a statement on Friday.
“I want to thank emergency services and staff at Cairns Hospital for looking after me. Especially Magic Molly (my dog) who was always by my side.
“I have, unfortunately, learned the hard way. Everyone needs to be croc-wise in croc territory.”
Rangers found the crocodile about 200 metres from the attack site and shot it dead on Thursday night.
They used a .308 rifle using a .762 bullet capable of piercing thick animal hide.
Magic Molly’s remains were found in the reptile’s stomach following a necroscopy.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services incident controller Michael Joyce said shooting the crocodile just behind its cranium was the most effective and humane way to kill it.
“It (the target area) is only a 50-cent piece sitting on top of the crocodile’s head,” he told reporters on Friday.
“There is another section within the head where they can aim for to make sure that that the shot goes directly into the brain cavity and is most humane as possible, and we get a death straight away.
“The guys train extensively to do just that. What makes it more tricky for them, from a training point of view, is it’s not like going to the target range and hitting 50-cent pieces at 100 metres. You’re doing it from a moving vessel.”
Shooting a crocodile from distance was a difficult process of one shot, one kill, Joyce said.
It is usually a two-person task with a tracker accompanying a ranger in a vessel, using torches and pointers to locate the crocodile.
Rangers practise on floating dummy crocodile heads in preparation for incidents such as these, Joyce told AAP.
The Bloomfield River is a well-known crocodile habitat and the incident should be a warning.
“Swimming in croc country is a choice,” Joyce said.
“I suggest to people if they want to protect themselves and their families and their pets, is make good choices.”
Wednesday’s attack is the first by a crocodile in Queensland since a man in his 40s suffered injuries to his arms and legs while swimming at Lawn Hill, north of Mount Isa in May 2022.
Far north Queensland federal MP Bob Katter said the attack happened because animals are being put before humans.
“People will look back on this era and say it was evil days, due to their contempt for life,” he said in a statement.
A longstanding critic of current crocodile control measures, Katter said our leaders “don’t love nature, they hate people”.
“This crocodile attack is another example of that contempt for life; crocodiles are more important than human beings.”
