Watch out for crocs! Learn from Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji rangers about the dangers of crocodiles in the Wet Tropics and how they use new technologies to monitor wildlife. Discover the right way to visit this beautiful coastal area near Cairns.
Video transcript
Justin Keyes (GMY Ranger)
“When tourists come over we would like to make them feel good and also make ourselves feel good. A lot of tourists coming here and they’re not doing it the right way and not going and getting any permits from our TOs (Traditional Owners) or our organisation.
Once they get the permission we will go out on Country, tell them about our storytelling and what the Country was like back then.”
Dion Sands (GMY Ranger)
“We are the GMY Rangers. We look after our Country and our boundaries and we monitor feral animals and endangered species. We also do trips out to the reef looking after our sea waters. We also do tours with kids from all over. We had a school group from Japan come over.
Sometimes we’ll like pull up on top of the hills, pull out the drone see if we can see any crocs, if we do, it’s like a bonus for us and the kids, you know, like they love to see crocs and all that in the wild.”
Stirling King (GMY Ranger)
“Like at this area, you know, like this is pristine, you know, that’s how we want it to be. You get more people tourists that come over not the right way, you know. They move stuff leaving more and more rubbish that shouldn’t be there.
It’s not only the tourists, it’s our own locals too, you know. Leaving fish scraps at the fishing spots that’s where the crocs will come out and hang around.”
Yitzhak Bulmer (GMY Ranger)
“When tourists come out they go too close to the water and that make us frightened, you know. Cause you seen, like a few crocodiles down at the beaches too.”
Stirling King
“Us as Aboriginal people, we love to showcase this, you know. Find us on Facebook or everybody’s welcome here but just do it in the right way, you know.”