Opinion: Why it's good king croc killers have gone from heroes to villians
HOW the world has changed and for the better.
I reckon 100 years ago, if someone shot a 5m-plus crocodile in the Fitzroy River they would likely be photographed with their kill and hailed community heroes.
Now, a police hunt is on to find the person who shot a 5.2m croc in the Rockhampton region last week.
If caught, the offender faces a maximum three years in prison and a $28k fine.
Some hero.
The death of this majestic animal has caught the attention of many across our region.
Part of me could understand, though not condone, if the death was caused by a grazier who had spent his whole life on the land and had become frustrated that the croc had taken several of his stock over the years.
If however, it was purely a sport shooting, I hope to see the culprit feel the full weight of the law. How we approach our relationship with animals is one of the areas changing rapidly and, in my view, this rate of change can't come quickly enough.
For far too long, we have seen people abuse animals and neglect their needs.
While it's fascinating to look at the old images of people who have killed crocs - and it would be unfair to judge them because of this - I'm glad our world has moved on to be a better place.
