Fancy a swim?
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:59 pm
A group of children, ready for their early morning swim class in Darwin, got a nasty fright when a 1.6 metre crocodile got there first.
"They turned the lights on, noticed a dark shape in the corner which scuttled over the lawn and into the water," said a staffer at Nightcliff Pool, Louise Salathiel.
"There were a few screams and then some cheering, they're just young kids."
The male saltie was in the pool area when swimming club members arrived about 5am (CST).
"We were over at the end of the pool and my friend was like, what is that, and we turned around and this crocodile was just running and we started screaming and ran away," schoolgirl Lauren Burrow told ABC radio.
The crocodile stayed under water for the next two hours until Parks and Wildlife rangers lifted it out, and took it to its new home at the Darwin Crocodile Farm at Noonamah.
It is thought the reptile may have been escaping rough seas and climbed up a nearby cliff in search of calmer waters.
"Crocodiles might sometimes be experiencing unfavourable weather conditions depending on where they might be, so they seek refuge if or when this becomes necessary," said Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) senior wildlife officer Tommy Nichols.
"We are confident about is that rough seas are likely to have played a role in bringing the crocodile closer to land.
Ms Salathiel said it was not the first time a croc had found its way into a communal swimming pool.
"It's happened once at Palmerston Pool but that's because someone let it in there," she said.
"Our croc appears to have crawled under the gate and over the lawn.
"That's Darwin, you just never know."
Mr Nichols urged people to be cautious when doing water-based activities in Top End rivers, creeks and harbours.
"Rising creek and river levels resulting from heavy rain also make it easier for crocodiles to move from one area to another so people should avoid activities such as swimming in rivers or harbours as this can involves a great degree of risk," he said.
"They turned the lights on, noticed a dark shape in the corner which scuttled over the lawn and into the water," said a staffer at Nightcliff Pool, Louise Salathiel.
"There were a few screams and then some cheering, they're just young kids."
The male saltie was in the pool area when swimming club members arrived about 5am (CST).
"We were over at the end of the pool and my friend was like, what is that, and we turned around and this crocodile was just running and we started screaming and ran away," schoolgirl Lauren Burrow told ABC radio.
The crocodile stayed under water for the next two hours until Parks and Wildlife rangers lifted it out, and took it to its new home at the Darwin Crocodile Farm at Noonamah.
It is thought the reptile may have been escaping rough seas and climbed up a nearby cliff in search of calmer waters.
"Crocodiles might sometimes be experiencing unfavourable weather conditions depending on where they might be, so they seek refuge if or when this becomes necessary," said Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) senior wildlife officer Tommy Nichols.
"We are confident about is that rough seas are likely to have played a role in bringing the crocodile closer to land.
Ms Salathiel said it was not the first time a croc had found its way into a communal swimming pool.
"It's happened once at Palmerston Pool but that's because someone let it in there," she said.
"Our croc appears to have crawled under the gate and over the lawn.
"That's Darwin, you just never know."
Mr Nichols urged people to be cautious when doing water-based activities in Top End rivers, creeks and harbours.
"Rising creek and river levels resulting from heavy rain also make it easier for crocodiles to move from one area to another so people should avoid activities such as swimming in rivers or harbours as this can involves a great degree of risk," he said.
