Original story by Blythe Moore, ABC Western Queensland
The crocodile in the Diamantina River at Birdsville sunning itself. (Sandra McShane - Contributed)
Even Birdsville's infamous crocodile has been feeling the winter chill lately.
Don Rowlands, a senior Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger, says the crocodile in the Diamantina River has been catching more sun than usual recently.
"He's been coming out sunning himself more than he was at the beginning when I first saw him," Mr Rowlands says.
"He's starting to get used to people standing on the banks and he just comes out and lies in the sun for most of the day."
Mr Rowlands says the crocodile has become something of a tourist attraction since it was first spotted in May.
"When you go down there it's like there's a regatta on or something," he says.
"There's people lined up on the banks everywhere.
"He's causing a lot of interest even from people travelling down from the Cape, they still want to check out a crocodile here at Birdsville.
"It's seems odd that they come from crocodile country and they're still keen to go and have a look at the one we have here in Birdsville."
The crocodile is said to allow people as close as three metres before he "takes off".
Mr Rowlands says there could be problems if people accidentally stand between the crocodile and the water.
"In terms of how he might react to that and people standing in his way, that's one of the concerns."
There are signs around the area warning people about the crocodile, but Mr Rowlands says the signs create even more interest.
"It's a double-edged sword really, the best thing would be to have it removed from here and taken back to more of his natural habitat," he says.
"We can't seem to get used to a crocodile in our water."
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