Remote hot springs closed in Australia after croc sighting

July 2008. Australia's Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service have closed the Tjuwaliyn Hot Springs area to all visitors after a sighting of a 2 metre long crocodile. The Crocodile Management Team have identified the photograph taken by a tourist at the Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs as a freshwater crocodile.

"Parks and Wildlife Service rangers are on their way down to close the facility and will remain in the area overnight," Mr McCartney said. "We do regular spotlight surveys after each wet season and no saltwater crocodiles were sighted in the area."

"The colouring of the crocodile, the pattern of its skin, the jaw line as well as the snout all show the crocodile in the photograph provided to be a freshwater crocodile," Mr Nichols said.

"We will undertake an additional spotlight survey tonight to confirm there are no saltwater crocodiles in the area."

A Wildlife Crocodile Management team will assist in finding and possibly removing the crocodile if found.

"Just to be cautious we're getting our crocodile management team down to do an additional spotlight survey of the area tonight, but if that reveals no sign of any saltwater crocodiles we will reopen the area, including the campground tomorrow morning," Mr McCartney said.

"We do regular spotlight surveys after each wet season and no saltwater crocodiles were sighted in the area."

Mr Nichols said estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles can inhabit waters throughout the Darwin and Katherine regions of the Northern Territory, including freshwater rivers and billabongs.