Australian authorities have launched a manhunt against a possible serial crocodile killer after an anonymous caller bragged about killing the reptile at Queensland’s Daintree River.

A local crocodile tour operator had first received the call from an unidentified man shortly after finding the decapitated head and spine of Lizzie, a 40-year-old female saltwater crocodile which had over the decades become a friendly tourist icon, posing for “thousands” of pictures.

“This guy rang up anonymously, and also left a message on Facebook,” David White told news.com.au

“He told me he did it, and that he was the apex predator, not the crocodile. He seemed to want to be at the top of the food chain because he had a gun.

“He said he killed her and fed her meat to the dogs. Then the man admitted to killing another crocodile a few months earlier, who had been found without its head."

White said that the caller&nbsp;claimed to have decapitated Lizzie and a much larger crocodile in Cow Bay in April. In the Cow Bay case, the crocodile’s head was chopped off and the body was left behind.

“She was my favourite female crocodile, the first one I named out there. I named her after Queen Elizabeth because she had a habit of waving at you like the queen.”

Though officials are investigating Lizzie’s death, White said that it was obvious from the way her head and spine had been cleanly removed that it was at the hand of a human.

<h2>Lizzy, the beloved crocodile </h2>

David White, owner of Solar Whisperer Wildlife Cruises for the last 26 years, had grown affectionate of her during the times he spent there.

He has been left devastated by the loss and was shaken by the brutal nature of her death.

“I named her Lizzie many years ago because she had this habit of waving at you like the Queen,” he told News.com.au.

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“It looked like a royal wave, and the name stuck. We have names for all the crocodiles in the area and the royal theme has continued.”

A spokesperson for the Queensland environment department on Friday said that the officials were probing the links between the two deaths and added that they feared the protected animals were being “targeted and deliberately killed”.

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Saltwater crocodiles had nearly gone extinct in the early 1970s as they were often the target of hunters, but over the years sustained conservation efforts allowed the population&nbsp;to rebound, resulting in a gradual increase in attacks on humans.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Australian authorities have launched a manhunt against a possible serial crocodile killer after an anonymous caller bragged about killing the reptile at Queensland’s Daintree River.

Australian authorities have launched a manhunt against a possible serial crocodile killer after an anonymous caller bragged about killing the reptile at Queensland’s Daintree River. A local crocodile tour operator had first received the call from an unidentified man shortly after finding the decapitated head and spine of Lizzie, a 40-year-old female saltwater crocodile which had over the decades become a friendly tourist icon, posing for “thousands” of pictures. “This guy rang up anonymously, and also left a message on Facebook,” David White told news.com.au “He told me he did it, and that he was the apex predator, not the crocodile. He seemed to want to be at the top of the food chain because he had a gun. “He said he killed her and fed her meat to the dogs. Then the man admitted to killing another crocodile a few months earlier, who had been found without its head." White said that the caller claimed to have decapitated Lizzie and a much larger crocodile in Cow Bay in April. In the Cow Bay case, the crocodile’s head was chopped off and the body was left behind. “She was my favourite female crocodile, the first one I named out there. I named her after Queen Elizabeth because she had a habit of waving at you like the queen.” Though officials are investigating Lizzie’s death, White said that it was obvious from the way her head and spine had been cleanly removed that it was at the hand of a human. Lizzy, the beloved crocodile David White, owner of Solar Whisperer Wildlife Cruises for the last 26 years, had grown affectionate of her during the times he spent there. He has been left devastated by the loss and was shaken by the brutal nature of her death. “I named her Lizzie many years ago because she had this habit of waving at you like the Queen,” he told News.com.au. Also read | Shark that ate Russian tourist on camera to be mummified, put on display “It looked like a royal wave, and the name stuck. We have names for all the crocodiles in the area and the royal theme has continued.” A spokesperson for the Queensland environment department on Friday said that the officials were probing the links between the two deaths and added that they feared the protected animals were being “targeted and deliberately killed”. Also read | Indian man believed to be dead, found eating momos in another state Saltwater crocodiles had nearly gone extinct in the early 1970s as they were often the target of hunters, but over the years sustained conservation efforts allowed the population to rebound, resulting in a gradual increase in attacks on humans. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Australian officials on hunt for serial crocodile killer after back-to-back carnage

An Australian man's remains, who died while fishing with friends, have been discovered inside a crocodile in&nbsp;northern Queensland.&nbsp;Kevin Darmody was last seen in Kennedy's Bend, a well-known saltwater crocodile habitat in a far-flung area of northern Queensland&nbsp;On Saturday (April 29).&nbsp;

After two days of extensive search, police euthanised two large crocodiles and discovered human remains, as reported by BBC.

Police described it as a "tragic ending" to the search for the 65-year-old, although the remains have not yet been&nbsp;identified.

Darmody was a well-known local resident of Cape York and an accomplished fisherman.&nbsp;

About 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from where he was last seen, the two crocodiles, which were 4.1m&nbsp;(13.4 ft) and 2.8m in length, were shot and killed on Monday (April 1).

Despite the fact that only one of the reptiles contained human remains, wildlife officers are convinced that both were present during the incident.

The fishermen with&nbsp;Darmody at the time did not witness&nbsp;the attack but reported hearing him shout, followed by a loud splash.

I raced down… but there was no sign of him, just his thongs [flip-flops] on the bank and nothing else," his friend John Peiti&nbsp;told the Cape York Weekly.

In the tropical north of Australia, crocodiles are abundant, although attacks are uncommon. Since records have been kept in Queensland since 1985, Darmody's death is just the 13th fatal attack there.

A crocodile was believed to have killed an elderly woman who went missing in Port Douglas in 2017. In another isolated case, a woman was attacked and killed in Daintree National Park the previous year.&nbsp;

Queensland's crocodile population has increased from a low of about 5,000&nbsp;to over 30,000 as of today owing&nbsp;to a hunting ban that was enacted in 1974.

According to a 2019-research, there are 1.7 adult crocodiles on average per river kilometre&nbsp;assessed, said a BBC report.&nbsp;

As part of Queensland's management system, "problem crocodiles" are pulled out&nbsp;of locations where they endanger the public's safety and, in very rare circumstances, put to death.

These figures are dwarfed by Australia's Northern Territory (NT), which has the biggest wild crocodile population in the world, with some 100,000 of the reptiles.

Since 2005, there had been an average of 1-2 deaths in the region&nbsp;from crocodile attacks, although none have happened since 2018. This is despite awareness efforts urging people to be "crocwise" around rivers.

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An Australian man's remains, who died while fishing with friends, have been discovered inside a crocodile in northern Queensland. Kevin Darmody was last seen in Kennedy's Bend, a well-known saltwater crocodile habitat in a far-flung area of northern Queensland On Saturday (April 29).

An Australian man's remains, who died while fishing with friends, have been discovered inside a crocodile in northern Queensland. Kevin Darmody was last seen in Kennedy's Bend, a well-known saltwater crocodile habitat in a far-flung area of northern Queensland On Saturday (April 29). After two days of extensive search, police euthanised two large crocodiles and discovered human remains, as reported by BBC. Police described it as a "tragic ending" to the search for the 65-year-old, although the remains have not yet been identified. Darmody was a well-known local resident of Cape York and an accomplished fisherman. About 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from where he was last seen, the two crocodiles, which were 4.1m (13.4 ft) and 2.8m in length, were shot and killed on Monday (April 1). Despite the fact that only one of the reptiles contained human remains, wildlife officers are convinced that both were present during the incident. The fishermen with Darmody at the time did not witness the attack but reported hearing him shout, followed by a loud splash. I raced down… but there was no sign of him, just his thongs [flip-flops] on the bank and nothing else," his friend John Peiti told the Cape York Weekly. In the tropical north of Australia, crocodiles are abundant, although attacks are uncommon. Since records have been kept in Queensland since 1985, Darmody's death is just the 13th fatal attack there. A crocodile was believed to have killed an elderly woman who went missing in Port Douglas in 2017. In another isolated case, a woman was attacked and killed in Daintree National Park the previous year. Queensland's crocodile population has increased from a low of about 5,000 to over 30,000 as of today owing to a hunting ban that was enacted in 1974. According to a 2019-research, there are 1.7 adult crocodiles on average per river kilometre assessed, said a BBC report. As part of Queensland's management system, "problem crocodiles" are pulled out of locations where they endanger the public's safety and, in very rare circumstances, put to death. These figures are dwarfed by Australia's Northern Territory (NT), which has the biggest wild crocodile population in the world, with some 100,000 of the reptiles. Since 2005, there had been an average of 1-2 deaths in the region from crocodile attacks, although none have happened since 2018. This is despite awareness efforts urging people to be "crocwise" around rivers. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Australia: Body of missing fisherman found inside crocodile

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Australian officials on hunt for serial crocodile killer after back-to-back carnage

Australia: Body of missing fisherman found inside crocodile