Footage of an tense exchange between a local and an elderly tourist has revealed just how dangerous it is to visit parts of Australia without following safety guidelines — not only for yourself but also for native wildlife.
Local Shane Bates was fishing near Yorkeys Knob boat ramp in Cairns, Queensland, this week when something out of the corner of his eye stopped him in his tracks.
“This man pulled up in his car, started putting his stinger suit on then got his board out,” Bates told Yahoo News Australia. “He walked down the boat ramp, jumped on his board and paddled out.”
“Seeing him paddling in the murky water made me feel sick to my stomach,” he said.
The area is known crocodile territory and it took Bates a moment to shake off the shock before trying to intervene and confronting the man, who he said was “definitely a tourist”.
Tourist ‘straight away argued’ with local over crocodile danger
Bates gave the beachgoer the benefit of the doubt and assumed he hadn’t noticed the “recent crocodile sighting” sign standing close to where he was fishing. However, when the local desperately tried to warn him of the danger, the man “straight away argued”, he said.
“I started filming out of disbelief. Old mate wasn’t having a bar of what I was saying,” he recalled to Yahoo.
In the footage, Bates can be heard yelling the nine-word warning all of us would be wise to remember.
“You’re in north Queensland mate, have some common sense.”
Local says ‘selfish’ behaviour will impact local wildlife
Not only did the man put himself at risk by choosing to jump into the water in known croc country, but he also put the crocodile in danger — as it is now common practice for rangers to shoot the animal if one attacks a human.
“If this old man gets chomped on, the poor darn croc is going to get shot at,” Bate said. “[It] isn’t fair on the croc. People need to stop being so selfish and have some respect for our wildlife.”
Rangers are also subjected to the “gruesome” job of recovering the victim, often finding body parts inside crocodiles.
“When someone gets taken it’s not just that person that suffers the consequences. Rangers have the gruesome job of recovering what’s left of the body and then they have to find and kill the crocodile responsible,” outback tour guide David McMahon told Yahoo News previously.
Crocodiles are known to live near Yorkeys Knob boat ramp in Cairns. Source: Getty
Authorities urge visitors to ‘make sensible choices’
The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) strongly warned against visitors “using small watercraft such as kayaks and paddleboards”.
“People are responsible for their own safety in croc country, and we’re asking people to make sensible choices around the water,” a spokesperson told Yahoo News.
Top tips to reduce your risk in Croc Country, according to the Queensland Government:
-
Stay at least 5m from the water’s edge
-
Dispose of your food and fish scraps in a bin or take them home
-
Keep your pets on a lead and away from the water’s edge
-
Avoid using small watercraft such as kayaks and paddleboards
-
Stay well away from crocodile traps
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.