What a croc: the day a reptile was reportedly seen in Noosa … or was it?
The question was: had Ross Buckley really seen a 3.5-metre crocodile while on his 'usual 6:30am stroll' down the dog beach at the mouth of the Noosa River? Was Buckley even real?
There was no picture to accompany this alleged sighting of what Buckley at first took to be another 'bit of driftwood' in the glittering beach town about 300km south of the commonly considered boundary of typical saltwater crocodile habitat.
But that did not stop the hot takes – some holding up the post as evidence to support a croc cull, others as another example of the impacts of global heating. For some, Buckley was a champion of public safety; to others, he may well have been the creation of YouTube pranksters. Buckley, whose post was widely quoted, accepted a friendship request from Guardian Australia but did not respond to questions.
Buckley's claim may not otherwise have sparked much more than a few AI-generated memes and some online debate. But, within hours, another emerged – this time with purported evidence and two witnesses ready to jump in front of a camera to back up their encounter.
One of them was no stranger to the media. In 2024, James Graham was featured in Forbes Australia, talking about his ASX-listed biotech company that was working to develop a new class of antibiotic-resistant drugs. On Monday morning, he was on Channel Seven's Sunrise and Nine's Today show to talk about what he had seen on his sounder – a sonar device used to electronically show fish below the surface – the day before.
Graham told Guardian Australia he was fishing with his mate Kai at a regular spot on the Noosa River, near where the entrepreneur has a holiday house.
'We weren't getting any bites and we thought, 'that's a bit unusual', and then Kai said, 'look at the sounder!',' Graham said. 'We both looked at it, and it just looked like a crocodile.'
Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter
Graham said he and his mate had fished far north in the territory of the mighty saltwater crocodile and were no strangers to its electronic outline.
'We often fish in crocodile waters and half the fun of fishing in those places is to use the fish finder to spot things in the water,' he said. 'You go, that's an old car, that's an old boot, there's a crocodile.
'So we know what they look like on the fish finder – you just don't ever expect to see them down here.'
The reports were enough to prompt a response from authorities. A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation said a ranger 'conducted a land-based search' on Sunday without luck and that a 'vessel-based search' was being scheduled on Monday.
Being ambush predators, crocodiles are most easily spotted at night by shining torches on the water that reflect in their eyes.
'We are aware of social media reports regarding a reported crocodile sighting today at the Noosa Spit and are investigating the matter further,' the spokesperson said.
'The Boyne River near Gladstone, some 300km to the north, is commonly considered the southern boundary of typical crocodile habitat.
'We investigate every crocodile sighting report we receive.'
Amanda French from Community Representation of Crocodiles said the 'jury was still out' as to whether the alleged sightings were of a real croc or not.
The manager of the Queensland-based platform of scientists and communicators who aim to counter crocodile misconceptions and 'fear mongering' said that fish finders were not a reliable tool and that a lot of purported sightings end up being floating logs mistaken for the feared predators, or 'logodiles'.
But while this sighting remained unconfirmed at the time of writing, French said it was 'not common, but not unheard of' for crocodiles to venture into south-east Queensland.
She pointed to a three-metre-long saltie that was shot by rangers earlier this month in Maryborough, about 200km south of its typical range, but also to historical records dating back to the 1900s in the Logan River, south of Brisbane.
'When people see crocodiles where we are not used to seeing them it gets quite sensationalised,' French said. 'But the reality is we've been seeing crocs in south-east Queensland forever and a day – it has long been part of their range.'
But should whatever was on Graham's fish finder prove to be a crocodile, French said it would be a vagrant which, like all tourists to Noosa, would eventually head home.
John Lever, who farms more than 3,000 of the world's largest living reptiles near Rockhampton and has caught and raised crocs for decades, agreed that even if there was a crocodile at Noosa, it would not be sticking around.
As cold-blooded animals, he said crocodiles could not generate their own body heat and sought out areas that 'conform to their bodily requirements'. Salties like a temperature of 30C, he said, and cannot digest food below a temperature of about 21C. The ocean temperature around Noosa could drop below 18C in July.
'So it's a bit far-fetched to think crocodiles are going to be living down [there],' he said.
If there was an escaped pet or vagrant on the loose, it would pose no safety threat, he said.
'Not at the moment – it's too cold, they're not looking for food.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Rare lesser emperor dragonfly spotted in Leicestershire
Walking in nature, you might not expect to come across a sought-after that's exactly what happened to Tony Clarke, when he snapped a picture of a rare dragonfly enthusiast spotted a lesser emperor at Rutland Water Nature Reserve in Leicestershire, England on 13 first recorded sighting of a lesser emperor dragonfly was in 2003, and there have only been seven live sightings documented since then. Ian Merrill, a dragonfly recorder and member of the British Dragonfly society, said the sighting was an "unusual occurrence".He also said that the presence of the species in the UK was "linked to climate change".The lesser emperor has been regularly migrating to the UK from Europe since about to the British Dragonfly Society, most species of dragonfly are tropical and prefer warmer habitat loss and climate change are threatening many as the UK's weather is expected to get warmer because of climate change, we might see different species of animals migrating to our shores.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Americans told to destroy parasite-infested pink blobs invading Florida: 'Crush on site'
Americans are being urged to destroy strange, sticky pink blobs appearing across Florida, as officials warn they pose a threat to both humans and local ecosystems. These vivid pink clusters are egg masses laid by invasive apple snails from South America, fast-growing species that can cause serious ecological damage once hatched. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has warned residents not to handle the eggs with bare hands, especially around the eyes, nose, or mouth. The slime coating the eggs may carry harmful bacteria and parasites that can infect sensitive areas. Instead, officials are asking the public to crush the clutches using protective footwear. Florida is home to multiple types of apple snails, including the native Florida apple snail. But the state also hosts four exotic species from South America: the island apple snail, channeled apple snail, spike-topped apple snail, and titan apple snail. Health officials are particularly concerned about the channeled apple snail, which can carry rat lungworm, a parasite capable of causing a rare but potentially deadly form of meningitis when humans consume raw or undercooked snails. The US Geological Survey reports these egg masses are commonly spotted in central and southern Florida waterways, including Lake Okeechobee, the St. Johns River, and Everglades National Park. Invasive apple snail populations have also taken hold in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and parts of California, where they've become serious pests in agricultural zones. Since 2013, these invasive snails have spread across 38 out of 67 counties in Florida and been found in at least 29 different watersheds. They can grow up to six inches long, lay distinctive bright pink egg masses, and have an aggressive appetite for aquatic vegetation. The exotic snails damaged crops, raised utility costs, lowered home values, and hurt fishing, tourism, and outdoor activities. Unlike Florida's native apple snail, these invaders threaten to push out local species and disrupt ecosystems by eating aquatic plants essential for native fish, birds, and water quality. The FWC said in a public alert: 'If they fall into the water, they will still hatch.' The agency added that the only way to prevent more snails is to completely crush the egg sacs. The invasive apple snail is listed by the FWC as one of the 'world's worst invaders' due to the extensive damage it causes to crops and natural habitats. A 2021 study estimated that this kind of damage and cleanup has costed North America over $26 billion annually since 2010. Moreover, globally, the cost of invasive species has reached $1.288 trillion over the past 50 years. Florida's native apple snail grows slowly and lays fewer eggs. In contrast, invasive snails mature in two to three months and produce large egg clutches. Native apple snail eggs are pale salmon-colored, contain 20 to 80 large, pea-sized eggs, and turn white before hatching, according to the US Geological Survey. The invasive island apple snail can lay up to 2,000 tiny eggs packed in layered clutches several inches long, while the invasive channeled apple snail lays up to 800 slightly larger eggs per clutch. The huge number of eggs and fast reproduction make these snails hard to control. Identifying apple snails apart by their shells is tricky, since they all looks alike. However, Native Florida apple snails are smaller, about two to three inches long, with flat-topped shells. Their shell colors range from yellow to brownish-black. Some exotic snails show bright yellow-orange, yellow-green, or copper tones, a result of aquarium breeding. Their foot tissue also varies in color, from yellow to gray. Most invasive apple snails arrived in Florida through the pet trade. Federal law bans moving apple snails between states, but the FWC stresses pet owners should never release them into the wild.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Weird swelling revealed first sign man's fingers and toes were ‘completely replaced' by cancer
A MAN developed painful swelling in one of his fingers and toes over the course of six weeks. It turned out to be a rare sign of cancer that had spread through his body - and the bones in his digits had been " completely replaced" by cancerous tumours. 2 Prior to swelling, the 55-year-old from Australia had been diagnosed with metastatic squamous-cell lung cancer. Squamous cell lung cancer is known for spreading to multiple sites, including the brain, spine and other bones, adrenal glands, and liver. It's a type of non-small cell cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, and accounts for roughly 80-85 per cent of all lung cancer cases. His case was published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. Six weeks after noticing swelling in his right middle finger and his right big toe, the man went to his local hospital. Doctors found the tip of each was red and swollen, and an ulcer had formed near the nail of the affected toe. The swollen areas were firm to touch and tender, the doctors reported. Scans revealed his hand and foot contained "destructive lytic lesions that had completely replaced" the bones in the finger and toe. Lytic lesions are areas of bone destruction that appear as holes or weakened spots on imaging scans. While cancer that's spread to the fingers and toes may mimic gout on a physical examination, a scan called a radiograph can help identify lytic lesions, the patient's doctors noted. The man was diagnosed with acrometastasis - the rare occurrence of cancerous tumours metastasising to the bones of the hands or feet. Acrometastases account for about 0.1 per cent of all metastatic cancers, according to a 2021 review. In most cases, the condition is seen in patients who already have cancer. But in some instances, acrometastasis can be the first sign for undiagnosed cancers. It's most often linked to cancers of the lung, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary tract. Acrometastases are seen more often in males than in females, according to the review. 2 And it tends to be rare, because in most cases, cancer cells are drawn to bone marrow, which is found in the long bones of the arms, legs, ribs, backbone, breastbone and pelvis. Finger and toe bones contain less bone marrow. Additionally, the further a bone is from the heart, the less blood it gets. Lower blood flow makes it harder for cancer cells to reach the fingertips or toes, so acrometastases happen less often there. Because acrometastases are usually seen in late-stage cancers, they're linked to poor survival rate. Treatments are typically focused on relieving a patient's pain and retaining as much function in the hand or foot as possible. In the 55-year-old's case, he was started on palliative radiotherapy, which aims to relieve symptoms rather than cure the disease. The doctors reports he died three weeks later from complications of refractory hypercalcemia - persistently high calcium levels in the blood that don't respond to standard treatments. Common symptoms of acrometastasis Acrometastasis, the spread of cancer to the bones of the hands or feet, can present with symptoms like pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the affected area. These symptoms can mimic benign conditions like arthritis or infection, leading to potential diagnostic delays. Common symptoms include: Pain: Often deep-seated, intermittent, and may not be relieved by typical painkillers. Swelling: Can be localized to a specific digit or involve a larger area. Redness and warmth: May indicate an inflammatory process, but can also be a sign of acrometastasis. Tenderness: The affected area may be tender to the touch. Functional impairment: Difficulty using the hand or foot due to pain or swelling. Ulceration or bleeding: In some cases, the skin over the affected area may ulcerate or bleed. Palpable mass: A lump or mass may be felt in the affected digit.
