Officials at a popular tourist spot for viewing crocodiles in the wild say people are standing "far too close" to the predators amid fears someone could soon be killed by one.
A river full of saltwater crocodiles in Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory attracts visitors eager to see the fearsome reptiles in their natural habitat.
However, safety warning were raised after crowds of tourists were seen gathering dangerously close to the water by the riverbank at Cahills Crossings.
Kakadu National Park manager Shaun Barclay said: "Parks Australia is disappointed with the behaviour of some visitors at Cahills Crossing who have ignored safety signage and walked dangerously close to the water, risking the chance of being attacked by a crocodile.
He went on to warn that it is unsafe to stand by the water's edge and that "visitors should never be complacent around crocodiles."
One park ranger reportedly told the tourists that what they were doing standing so close was "absolute lunacy".
The crossing is a notorious area where the dozens of the animals congregate, in particular between July and November until the wet season begins.
Cahills Crossings has twice been the location of a human death by crocodile in recent times.
In 2017, a 47-year-old man was killed in an act of "foolishness" as he tried to cross the river.
His body was discovered next to a 3.3-metre crocodile, which was destroyed at the scene.
Thirty years previously a fisherman, 40, was found decapitated in the same area after wading into the water.
Leon Compton, who was on a family holiday nearby the park, also raised concerns about the tourists' recent actions.
He said: "A tourist is going to die at Cahills Crossing given the behaviour I saw yesterday at the crossing — it is only a matter of time."
The ABC radio presenter in Hobart, Tasmania could not believe the amount of tourists, including children and vulnerable people, who were "risking their lives" to see the lethal crocodiles and called the crossing "tourist phenomenon" that normally has a designated safe viewing spot away from the water's edge.
He added: "I think normally there must be some sort of display or waiting point where people can actually [safely] stand on the bank, but it's being fixed at the moment."
Compton viewed the crocodiles from a high boulder in a safe location while the building of a new viewing platform is currently underway, which is expected to be finished by September.
Although signs are in place telling people that the crossing is closed, according to Compton there were between 100 and 200 tourists walking along the river "literally with their toes in the water ".
At one point he saw huge crocodiles up to 4.5-metres long very close to people standing on the bank's edge with "bubbles emerging from the water below".
