00:00So far, what we know is that police have been deployed both locally in Peppermint, Palumpa,
00:07also known as Nyamarianga, a community southwest of Darwin by about 350 kilometres.
00:13And it's there that they're looking for a 12-year-old child, believed to be a 12-year-old
00:17girl who was last seen just after five o'clock yesterday afternoon swimming in Mango Creek.
00:23Now initial reports suggest a crocodile may have been involved in taking the child and
00:27attacking them at the water.
00:29The alarm was then raised and sent to police officers.
00:32We haven't heard from police on camera yet, but we have heard from the Police Minister
00:37Brent Potter, who said the incident is highly concerning.
00:41It's a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child, and especially
00:46in circumstances like that, taken by a crocodile.
00:48I know the search and rescue team are currently out there right now with members from the
00:51Wadai Police Station, and they'll continue to do that to find the croc.
00:54I believe they've been authorised to remove that crocodile from the area.
00:59And so Brent Potter there mentioning that police are now given permission to remove
01:03the crocodile from the area if they find it.
01:05It comes in a context where the Northern Territory has dealt with a population explosion over
01:10decades since the ending to hunting and mass culling of crocodiles in 1971, where populations
01:16have boomed right to north of 100,000.
01:19And the government has already upped its quota of the amount of crocodiles that can be culled
01:24annually from 300 now to 1,200.
01:27What has become of this child, we are still yet to hear from police.
01:32Police are yet to speak publicly on the rescue operation and whether or not that child is
01:36still alive or how they are faring at this point.
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