Giant, 60 - year - old crocodile finally caught after 8year hunt in Australia

Aussie croc hunters have caught a 15ft long saltwater crocodile after chasing it through the outback for eight years, officials revealed today Rangers in the Northern Territories (NT) finally captured Katherine River’s biggest croc — weighing in at a whopping 1323 lbs. The hunt began after rumours of a “large dark tail” spotted near a local boat ramp, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

NT Parks and Wildlife rangers Chris Heydon and John Burke said it was very unusual to capture a croc this big in the Katherine River system. “We average a 4.2 metre (13.7ft) croc most years, but never this big,” Mr Burke said. Despite its colossal weight, rangers said the male reptile, who could possibly be over 60 years old, was not that difficult to trap.

The reptile will be taken to a crocodile farm in the Katherine region, Northern Territories Parks and Wildlife confirmed. In the Northern Territories inland waters, a 15ft saltwater crocodile is considered to be rare. “Although this is the biggest we’ve caught in the Katherine River, there are bigger ones out there that come up from the Daly River,” ranger Burke said. Croc captures are not unusual in the in the region, earlier this year seven crocodiles were pulled from the river, including two large saltwater crocs — 12.8ft and 15ft in length.