4-meter crocodile that killed Australian child shot dead

CANBERRA, July 10: Authorities have shot dead a crocodile that killed a child in Australia's Northern Territory (NT).

NT Police on Wednesday confirmed that the 4.2-meter saltwater crocodile that attacked a 12-year-old girl earlier in July has been located and destroyed.

The girl was swimming with family in a creek near the small remote town of Palumpa - more than 200 kilometres southwest of Darwin - on July 2 when she disappeared.

Her remains were found on July 4 following a two-day search that involved aerial surveillance, police, park rangers and members of the local community.

Police said at the time that her injuries were consistent with a crocodile attack. It was the first lethal crocodile attack in the NT since 2018.

In a statement on Wednesday, NT Police said a 4.2-meter crocodile was shot by rangers on Sunday with the permission of local Indigenous traditional owners of the area.

The crocodile resurfaced on Tuesday, police said, when it was confirmed to be the animal that attacked the child.

"The events of last week have had a huge impact on the family and local police are continuing to provide support to everyone impacted," NT Police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in the statement.

"The family have requested privacy as they grieve."

According to the NT government, there are estimated to be over 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the wild in the NT - more than in any other Australian state or territory.