“Old Faithful is a totemic animal for the Kuku Warra Aboriginal people and some family members have very strong and cultural connections to Old Faithful,” he said.
Under Queensland law, any crocodile more than four metres long or that has unusual characteristics is considered an “icon crocodile”, and special rules apply to their rehoming.
Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROCS), a conservation group based in Cairns, claimed the state government had acted in an underhanded way.
“Over the weekend the department quietly transferred Old Faithful from the Cairns holding facility to Australia Zoo,” the group said in a Facebook post.
In the same post they said more than 450 letters had been sent to Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell about Old Faithful’s situation.
In a statement on Monday, DETSI said multiple rehoming options were considered, but Australia Zoo was chosen as the “best-suited facility to accept and care for a crocodile of this size and significance”.
“The smooth transition for the crocodile is a testament to the collaborative efforts of Australia Zoo and DETSI, highlighting the shared goal of wildlife conservation and education,” it said.
Powell’s office has been contacted for comment.
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