A 4.4-metre crocodile that was filmed killing a dog on a beach and "stalking people" in Far North Queensland has been shot dead by rangers.
The saltwater crocodile was shot in a trap by Department of Environment and Science (DES) rangers on Thursday.
In April it was filmed on a Weipa beach preying on a dog that came close to the water's edge, before dragging it into the water.
In a statement, a DES spokesperson said the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council contacted the department on May 8 about handling the animal.
The department said its attempts to move the animal away from the beach with non-lethal pellets were unsuccessful.
Wildlife officers made the decision that the "animal should be humanely euthanased" after it displayed "concerning, bold behaviour" representing "an unacceptable risk to the safety of the community", a statement said.
The ABC was told the animal had been stalking people on the beach, including the wildlife officer who was assessing its behaviour.
A representative from the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
The ABC has contacted the state Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui, for comment.
Alternatives to euthanasia
Queensland's Nature Conservation (Estuarine Crocodile) Conservation Plan 2018 outlines the circumstances under which a crocodile may be considered a "problem" and removed from the wild.
It includes when a crocodile has attacked or is about to attack a person and when the nature of the crocodile's location is a threat or potential threat to the safety of humans.
But the death has angered crocodile advocates who have questioned why the estuarine crocodile — a species classified as vulnerable and protected under Queensland law — was considered of an adequate level of risk to the community to be killed.
"Shooting crocodiles for behaving like crocodiles is inappropriate," Amanda French from the Community Representation of Crocodiles said.
"The science shows we need large, territorial males in the environment and it could potentially make it more unsafe."
While rangers attempted to use non-lethal pellets to move the crocodile, Ms French said other alternatives should have been considered given the reptile was known in the area.
"There were alternatives to shooting the croc in the trap, including relocation to a zoological facility or public education," she said.
DES said the animal was unable to be humanely transported to a farm or zoo "due to the distance from remote Napranum to a suitable facility and the very low survival rate of crocodiles transported long distances by road".
Brian Coulter, a conservationist and former manager of the International Crocodile Rescue Unit at Australia Zoo, disagreed.
"I've transported crocodiles all over Australia," he said.
"We actually had a crocodile at Australia Zoo called Weipa, and the reason it's called Weipa is because he was caught in Napranum — the exact same spot as they shot that crocodile.
"It got transported back to Mareeba to a crocodile farm and then we transported it to Australia Zoo."
