A “CROCODILE” spotted near the Pacific Motorway at Logan by a British tourist turned out to be a “very large water dragon”.
The sighting, reported to Environment Departnment officers at Yatala last month, was one of a number of unconfirmed crocodile sightings across south-east Queensland .
According to the department’s CrocWatch website, there have been 44 confirmed crocodile sightings across Queensland so far this year and 137 unconfirmed.
Of the Yatala sighting, the website states there was no evidence of any crocodile found and the area was significantly south of normal crocodile range.
Crocodile sightings were also reported at Jackson Creek, Nudgee Beach, across three days in early October but department officials could find no evidence of a crocodile living in the area.
“Given the known range of this species, being north of the Boyne River, near Gladstone, the likelihood of an estuarine crocodile living in the wild in SEQ is extremely low,” the website states.
“It is likely that this is a case of mistaken identity and that observers have seen a shark, turtle or dugong.”
In September, unconfirmed sightings were investigated at Cabbage Tree Creek, adjacent to Sandgate Road, Deagon, at Aquatic Paradise, Birkdale, and in Schultz Creek, Nudgee Beach.
The majority of listed sightings reported to the department were much further north, including Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns, in known crocodile habitat areas.