A fisherman is believed to be killed by a large crocodile after he went fishing alone off Innisfail, south of Cairns in Queensland state. The 35-year-old man was reported missing on Sunday evening when police discovered his boat and floating speargun. The body was spotted on Monday morning following an aerial and water search.
"Initial investigations suggest the man may have been taken by a crocodile," said Queensland police, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
"Wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection are targeting the crocodile for removal," they added.
Police believe that the crocodile that killed the man is a four-metre (13-feet) beast. It is also believed that it is the same crocodile that attacked a police boat last Sunday. Inspector Rhys Newton said that it is a common behaviour of a reptile when it has recently hunted or is protecting a food source.
However, this is not the first time a water creature has attacked a man in Australia. According to channel News Asia, crocodiles kill an average of two people each year in the country. Moreover, the island continent is the home to saltwater crocodiles, which are called "salties", and they can grow up to seven metres long. Their numbers have also exploded after it was declared a protected species in 1971.
