Monster crocodile caught in Australia after 10-year search
Canberra, July 10 : Park rangers in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) have caught one of the region's biggest crocodiles after a decade-long hunt.
The male saltwater crocodile measuring 4.71 metres in length and weighing in at 600 kg was trapped by the rangers in the Katherine River, 320 km south of Darwin, on Monday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.
Another 2.37-metre crocodile was also caught in the river on the same day, approximately 60 km downstream of the town of 6,000 people.
Rumours of the monster crocodile have been circulated in the area since its large tail was first spotted near a local boat ramp in 2008.
NT Parks and Wildlife rangers Chris Heydon and John Burke said it was unusual to find a crocodile larger than 4.5 metres in the Katherine River system. "We average a 4.2-metre croc most years, but never this big," Burke told the media on Tuesday.
Traps were deployed in the system two weeks ago after three large crocodiles were observed during aerial surveys earlier in the year.
The two captures brings the total number of saltwater crocodiles caught in the NT in 2018 to 188, seven of which have been in the Katherine River.
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Karnataka Speaker U T Khader condoles death of Shamanur Shivashankarappa
Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Monday condoled the death of veteran politician Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
The 94-year-old Davangere South MLA died in a private hospital on Sunday after a prolonged illness. His last rites will be performed in Davangere on Monday.
Mourning his demise, Khader said it is a painful day for the House as the sitting member of the state Assembly and former minister has died.
"His contribution to society is vast, not only politically but also religiously, socially and culturally," Khader told reporters here.
In his 94 years Shivashankarappa demonstrated how to take everyone along and used to solve many problems with a smile and patience.
The Speaker said the Assembly members will pay condolences to the departed soul, after which the session will be adjourned for Tuesday.
To a question whether he was looking to increase business hours this time, Khader said there is a business advisory committee that will look into it.
