Crocodile expert John Lever says this is the most dangerous time of year for those living in croc country

Recently, a cattle producer, whose property runs down to the Fitzroy River, spotted a crocodile imprint on the riverbank near where one of their cows got bogged and had to be pulled to safety.

A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said 47 problem crocodiles had been captured and removed from the wild between January 1 and November 2 this year.

John Lever of Koorana Crocodile Farm, near Rockhampton, said the crocodile population was increasing and the Fitzroy River was renown for large crocodiles.

"The population in the Fitzroy is increasing, there's no doubt about that, and it's a well known fact they're fairly large crocodiles," he said.

Mr Lever said now was a dangerous time of year for people to be around crocodiles or share the same water area as it was their breeding season.

"The males are switched on sexually, with their hormones determining that they must protect their females and their territory," he said.

"So they become dangerous at the water's edge while the females become dangerous around the nest site because their hormones also determine their behaviour and that's to be good mums."

Mr Lever said people needed to be careful and understand a bit about their behaviour if they lived in an area where they existed.

For cattle producers, Mr Lever said the risk of fully grown animals being taken by a crocodile was not very great at all.

He said it an animal became bogged they were a sitting duck for a crocodile, but it would take a very large crocodile to take on a fully grown cow.

Mr Lever said calves, foals and pigs were at risk of being taken, but crocodiles in the Fitzroy were well fed with an abundance of bream, catfish, Barramundi, bird life and wildlife.

"Wildlife around the water's edge such as kangaroos and wallabies are all a much better size for a crocodile to look at and think 'that's something I can handle, that's food'," he said.

"So the risk of cattle being taken is there, but it's quite a low one."

Mr Lever said if a landowner had evidence of crocodiles taking their cattle dogs, calves or whatever, then there was provision under legislation for them to present that evidence to national parks and rangers were obliged to go out and remove the crocodile.

And while the wild crocodile population is increasing, Mr Lever does not believe in culling their numbers.

Instead, he is an advocate for their numbers to be properly managed under the relevant legislation and adequately resourced with money and rangers.

He said it was up to the state government to provide satisfactorily trained rangers to catch problem crocodiles which he used to be able to do until the rules changed.

"That was outlawed some years ago and now we just receive crocodiles from the wild when the rangers catch them," he said.

Mr Lever said he could not put a figure on the actual wild crocodile numbers in Queensland.

"But, I just know that the figure is increasing and they've got so many survival tricks that in the harshest of circumstance you will get some surviving," he said.

According to the Queensland Estuarine Crocodile Monitoring Program 2016-2019 report, the crocodile population in Queensland is estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000 non-hatchling crocodiles, and is expected to grow at a rate of 2.2 per cent annually.

"There has been an increase in the crocodile population over time. However, there is no evidence of a 'large increase' now or into the future," the report said.

"That section of coastline from Cooktown to Rockhampton accounts for around 20 per cent of the Queensland crocodile population."

The report states that the Proserpine River, in the Whitsundays region, has the highest density of crocodiles (5.5/km) in Queensland for reasons that are yet to be fully understood.

A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said 20 specialist staff were employed to respond to crocodile sightings, capture problem crocodiles, deliver 'Be Crocwise safety education and conduct research and monitoring.

To report a crocodile sighting, download the QWildlife app or call 1300 130 372.