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Croc shot dead after attacking and biting woman’s leg
Published 13:53 4 May 2022 BST
Homenews
The woman is in a 'stable' condition
A 2.5 metre long crocodile has been shot dead after it attacked a woman swimming in a lake in Western Australia. The 38-year-old had been in the water in Butler Cove, Lake Argyle, when the crocodile bit her in the leg, leaving her with serious injuries. She was taken to Kununurra Hospital but was then moved to Broome Regional Hospital due to the severity of her injuries. A spokesperson for Western Australia Country Health said her condition was "stable." The Department of Biodiversity and Conservation said that, shortly after the attack, staff saw a 2.5m crocodile matching the size of the one that attacked the woman. The croc came up to their boat when it was patrolling Butler Cove, which alarmed staff. Because of this behaviour, it was identified as a "problem animal." [caption id="attachment_333597" align="alignnone" width="2048"]
Some 35,000 freshwater crocodiles live in Lake Argyle, which is Australia's second largest man-made reservoir (iStock)[/caption]
In a statement, the department said: "Both the behaviour of a crocodile approaching the boat and the events of the previous day is consistent with what staff would identify as a problem animal."
"In order to ensure public safety ... and with consideration to large community events such as the annual Lake Argyle swim taking place this weekend, staff destroyed the animal."
Freshwater crocodiles are not known to be aggressive and are usually not considered to be dangerous animals, but do have "the potential to inflict serious injuries," a spokesperson said.
As many as 35,000 crocodiles live in Lake Argyle, which is Australia's second-largest man-made reservoir.
The attacked woman had hired a boat with friends to explore the lake, ABC reports.
The boat hire company states on its website that the lake is safe to swim in.
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