The 3m saltie was found dead on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton yesterday with blue packing tape looped tightly around its neck.
“There was no sign that the animal had been shot or deliberately killed in any other way,” Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service branch team leader Joe Adair said.
“It’s uncertain how the packing tape got around the crocodile’s neck but it’s likely that the loop went over its head and tightened around its neck.
“This just shows how important it is to dispose of waste responsibly, so it doesn’t end up in our waterways and kill native wildlife.”
Authorities were surprised by the dead reptile’s location, which they declared “not big croc country”.
The Fitzroy River is home to just 0.04 crocodiles per kilometre, a recent Department of Environment and Resource Management survey found.