Will burnoff, warning sign brown off croc in the Common

Saltwater Crocodile making itself at home on the freshwater side of the earth and gravel bund for walkers and cyclists in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park has sparked permanent warning sign 6km away just inside the entry gate.

Possibly slight overreaction for an animal estimated at a bit under two metres but there is some suspicion of a larger saltie in the same general 300-400m stretch - the deepest water on the north side of the bund.

Neither was likely to have been visible from midmorning today because a pre-saltie-planned burnoff of grasses on bother sides of the bund brought crackling red flames, billowing smoke and hungry kites. No threat to the croc's favoured sunning spots, half in flooded para grass and mud on norther side of the long curving pool. Even the threat of being caught unawares has greatly reduced through the burnoff of much cover on the bund. But we'll take a sneaky look tomorrow - see if the croc's browned off.