Australia

Rare White Croc Appears in Australia
Discovery News, Dec 7, 1999

A rare white saltwater crocodile swam out of the mangrove swamps of Australia's Cape York Peninsula one night last month just as wildlife officers were conducting a survey of the area. The rare reptile surfaced in the Wenlock River, north of the city of Weipa. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service crocodile researcher, Mark Read, says, "This is the first white one I've seen. They are a pretty rare beastie." Read says he believes that the white estuarine crocodile was the first ever to be found in Queensland, and perhaps in all of Australia. The two-year-old female crocodile was about 35 inches (90 cm) long. The wildlife experts captured, photographed, measured and tagged her before releasing the reptile into the river. She was fitted with a tracking device that will enable the biologists to monitor her location in the river. Read reports that he would visit the river again one night soon to check on the white crocodile. "We look for crocs at night because their eyes shine bright red and they are easier to spot."