So if the chances of finding his body are remote then why kill the croc?
People have the opportunity to heed the warnings and avoid going to areas known to have crocs so it just seems a pointless act of revenge.
LINK TO STORY
http://news.com.au/common/story_page...E13569,00.html
Croc shot as searchers lose hope
By PAUL DYER
December 31, 2003
Police believe it is unlikely the body of crocodile victim Brett Mann will be found.
Parks and Wildlife Rangers were last night confident a 3.8m saltwater crocodile shot just 1km from the site of the attack was the one which took Mr Mann.
But a search for the crocodile, which sank after it was shot, was continuing last night.
NT Police marine and fisheries unit Senior Constable Dallas Graetz said officers were still searching for Mr Mann's body.
"We would be very lucky to find anything now -- it has been over a week," he said.
"If the river goes down probably a metre there is the chance we will find some clothing or something like that.
"But the chance of finding Brett is pretty remote now."
Mr Mann, 22, of Howard Springs, was this month attacked by a crocodile in the Finniss River while on a quad bike riding trip.
His friends, Shaun Blowers and Ashley McGough, both 19, were forced to spend 22 hours in a tree to escape the crocodile before being rescued by police.
NT Parks and Wildlife senior conservation operations officer Phil Hauser said searchers had spotted two saltwater crocs near the attack site.
A 2.8m crocodile was seen about 1km upstream from the tree, while a 3.8m croc was found just 300m away.
About 9.30pm on Monday, after a two-hour hunt, Mr Hauser shot the larger croc in the back of the head from about 10m away.
"It is probably within the size class of the animal that is a suspect -- and certainly he was within the area," he said.
"Hopefully the shot was good enough and he is dead."
But Mr Hauser admitted he was not certain it was the croc responsible.
"It is possible that it is not necessarily the croc that took the person," he said.
The croc, believed to be a male about 15 years old, is expected to float to the surface within the next two days.
Northern Territory News