Whose croc is it anyway?

NICK CALACOURAS

August 5th, 2010

A cross-border dispute has erupted with Queensland over who owns the monster croc on today's front page.

The Northern Territory News displayed the picture of the slaughtered croc from Manangoora, an outstation 56km east of Borroloola.

Jeida Francis, 23, said he was just a boy when the croc was killed in 1997 because it was attacking the community's cattle.

Where do you think this croc is from? Leave your comments.

But Chas Cole, from Katherine, said the photo was taken four years ago in Queensland.

"It was a friend of mine, who was a structural engineer, who took the photo," he said.

"It tangled himself on the cables and drowned to death".

Mr Cole said his friend took the photo half way between Normanton and Karumba in North Queensland.

"He sent me an email and said, 'look at this'."

Mr Cole said he put the photo on his Facebook page and someone must have stolen the photo.

But the photo also appeared in the Cairns Post in December 2008.

This photo claimed the croc was shot in the Albert River, near Burkestown, and the killer was still on the loose.

The article said the investigation was hampered because the crocs head was chopped off - even though the head is clearly visible in the picture.

But Mr Francis yesterday insisted that the picture was from the Northern Territory.

"I remember when it happened. My aunt took the photo," he said.

He said the little girl in the photo was his cousin, Shaye, who posted the photo of Facebook two years ago.

"Someone must have ripped it off her page and started circulating it in an email," he said.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/08/05/170091_ntnews.html