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An unexpected visitor stirred up quite the commotion behind a store in Wallsend, located in Newcastle’s western region, over the weekend. The unusual sighting occurred on Saturday afternoon, prompting police to respond to a call about a crocodile lurking in a creek at Federal Park around 4:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, authorities swiftly established a perimeter around the water to prevent the crocodile from escaping and to ensure public safety by keeping curious onlookers at bay. This was no ordinary sight for the area, as the creature was identified as a freshwater crocodile, a species typically found in northern Australia and not native to New South Wales.
Initially, the crocodile was seen approximately three kilometers away from the creek. It eventually ventured closer, making its way to the park situated behind a Bunnings store, further capturing the attention of the community.
Although animal handling experts from the Australian Reptile Park were quickly on the scene that evening, their attempts to capture the elusive reptile were ultimately unsuccessful, leaving the community on high alert as efforts continued.
Despite animal handling specialists from the Australian Reptile Park arriving on scene that night, they were unable to capture it.
They returned the next day and were able to successfully capture the crocodile.
“With murky water this wasn’t a simple job but our team,” the Australian Reptile Park said in a post on Facebook.
“Our team… worked across the weekend to safely secure the little croc.’
Despite initial reports of more crocodiles in the area, police confirmed there had been no further sightings.
There were no reported injuries, and the young croc has been taken to the Australian Reptile Park for further checks.
“The croc has now been safely transported to the Australian Reptile Park,” the Facebook post said.
“Our veterinary team is giving it a full health check and making sure it’s getting the proper care it needs.”