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Rangers to hunt Cape Tribulation croc

Last Update: Thursday, November 9, 2006. 7:39am (AEDT)

North Queensland wildlife rangers will head to Cape Tribulation in far north Queensland today to trap and remove the crocodile that bit a Belgian tourist on the leg.

Authorities say the 24-year-old man was trying to take a photo of the two-metre reptile late yesterday when it lunged from the water.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's Mark Read says the man escaped with relatively minor injuries.

"A tourist up in Cape Tribulation was trying to get a photograph of a crocodile and appeared to have been tapping the water to entice the animal closer," Dr Read said.

"That seems as though it has obviously provoked the crocodile, who may have felt either attracted to the sound of the tapping as a potential attack cue or may have felt threatened territorially.

"Unfortunately the animal has come in and attacked the gentleman, biting him on the leg.

"Staff from a local pharmacy were called in, who patched him up and then he was transported from Cape Tribulation to the hospital at Mossman."

Dr Read says people should exercise common sense.

"Any behaviour that humans exhibit that may attract the animal closer in a situation like that is potentially dangerous and places the person at risk," he said.

"So it seems to have been a situation that could easily have been avoided."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1784292.htm

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John aka NitroX

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