Court Fines Farmer $8,000 For Killing 100-Year-Old Crocodile

An Australian farmer who shot dead an “iconic” 100-year-old crocodile because he was “sick of losing cattle” has been fined $8,000 (10,000 Australian dollars).
The 5.2-metre crocodile was shot between the eyes in a river next to a farm in Rockhampton in central Queensland in September.
Luke Orchard, 31, pleaded guilty in court but said he was sick of the animal taking his calves.
He argued that he was protecting cattle at Belmont Research Station, where he was working.
Jess King, a police prosecutor, told the court that experts estimated the crocodile was about 100 years old, making it rare and of cultural significance to the region.
Crocodiles are protected animals in Australia.
They cannot be killed without authority from wildlife officers unless they pose a threat and the penalty for killing “iconic” crocs, which are more than five metres in length, is higher.