Howard the Saltwater Crocodile
The Situation
Recently in Queensland, news broke when 10 years old, Elroy Woods sought to protect Howard, a four-metre saltwater crocodile after the Department of Environment moved to capture the reptile. The reason behind this decision came after a complaint by a resident and an assessment carried out deemed Howard to be a problem due to its size and location even though Howard has never once harmed anyone. Despite Elroy and other residents’ petition to have the authorities to leave Howard alone, the department still decided to move forward with the plan to remove the crocodile by laying traps.
This subsequently caught the attention of Australia Zoo, Terri and Robert who voiced their opinions on the issue. They responded that science indicates that removing Howard would throw the area out of balance as Howard is probably keeping the other and often more problematic crocodiles in check. They added that if the authorities decide to commit to the capture of Howard, the Australia Zoo is willing to provide a home for him.