SYDNEY — Two Australian men didn’t just run when they spotted a large crocodile at a popular swimming hole, they packed it into their car and took it away so it would not pose a danger to other bathers.
The men found the 3.2-metre (11-foot) saltwater predator about 10 kilometres (six miles) from their remote Aboriginal community of Gunbalanya in the tropical northern region known as Arnhem Land on Wednesday, police said.
“They took it back in the back of a Troopcarrier (four-wheel drive),” a Northern Territory police spokeswoman said on Friday.
The men left the animal at a relative’s home, where it sat lazily in a pool of water in the front yard overnight — with its jaws and legs securely bound — as they prepared to release it back into the wild.
“It appears that they knew what they were doing,” the spokeswoman said, adding that the animal was not harmed in any way.
The reptile was later released into the East Alligator River with the assistance of wildlife officials.
Australian authorities trap crocodiles in the country’s far north each year to reduce the likelihood of the deadly saltwater species finding their way to popular swimming locations.
“It’s a timely reminder that crocodiles do move around and can be found in most Top End waterways,” Parks and Wildlife Service acting chief district ranger Lincoln Wilson said in a statement.