Giant saltwater crocodile kills Australia fisherman

Saltwater crocodiles are protected in Australia

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A man has been killed by a giant saltwater crocodile as he was fishing with his wife in northern Australia.

The man, 57, was attacked by the 4.5-metre (15ft) reptile as he waded into the Adelaide River to unsnag his line, south of Darwin.

His wife heard a scream and turned around only to see "a tail splashing in the water", officials said.

The body was found a few hours later, and the crocodile was shot dead by the police.

The man - whose name has not been released - is the fourth person to be killed by a crocodile in Australia's Northern Territory this year.

The attack took place in a stretch of the river close to where cruise ships show sightseers crocodiles leaping from the water to snatch chicken carcasses suspended from poles.

The killer crocodile is believed to be a rare half-albino who had regularly approached the cruise ships.

Crocodile numbers have increased since being declared a protected species in 1971. They are a common feature of Australia's tropical north.

The Australian government rejected a controversial plan to allow crocodile safari hunting in the Northern Territory in March.