EXPRESS Croc The
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
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Miss Popularity Raechal Thorne, Queen Logan Foxwell and Princess Amanda Jenkins. Photo By Peter Roy.
attack Farm worker bitten by salt water crocodile after trying to remove it from a Mareeba cane farm
A new Queen is crowned In what kicked off a record breaking Mareeba Rodeo, Logan Foxwell was crowned the 2017 Mareeba Rodeo Queen at Friday night’s downtown parade. Joining the Rodeo royalty line up for 2017 is Amanda Jenkins who was crowned Princess and Raechal Thorne was named Miss Popularity. The young ladies helped start a mega weekend for the Mareeba Rodeo as thousands converged on Kerribee Park for two action packed days.
Photos and all the action from the 2017 Mareeba Rodeo on P4-5
A cane harvesting workplace health and safety officer thought he was doing the right thing by trying to help an injured crocodile that found its way into a Mareeba paddock on Saturday, only for the 1.4 metre saltie to turn around and bite him. Daryl Bell’s hand was locked into the mouth of the reptile, his colleagues having to prise open its jaws with a large spanner. The attack happened at a Peters Road farm, 3km from Mareeba’s CBD when Mr Bell was called by a harvesting machine operator to capture the croc and tape its jaws to remove it. The croc had been burnt the previous day in a cane fire. “It latched onto my hand puncturing my thumb and fingers and it would not let go,” Mr Bell said. “The operator grabbed the tail and I grabbed the jaws but its skin started to peel off, I lost my grip and it grabbed my hand. “Its teeth went right through my thumb nail and
The crocodile that attacked Daryl Bell.
a finger. “I felt sorry for the croc because it had been burnt and I had no intention of hurting it.” Mr Bell was taken to Mareeba Hospital to get treatment and was released after his hand had been bandaged and treated to prevent infection. Owner of Harvest Mareeba, Bruce Craven said he prised open the animal’s jaws to remove Mr Bell’s hand. Threats of prosecution made by Environment and Heritage Protection officers to local farmers should they interfere with crocodiles, led Mr Craven
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to contact the department in Cairns for advice about the injured reptile. He said it took more than two hours to get an officer on the phone. “They told us to take it to a vet who then euthanized it,” he said. “Having crocodiles in a cane paddock places my men in a dangerous situation and this croc should not have been in the cane. “The EHP has been contacted in the past about removing crocs from this area but they refuse to do anything about the danger.” “They are not supposed to be on the Tablelands.
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