NAME YOUR CROC: But Dusty-Rose is a croc without any other name

Douglas Shire is the home of what is believed to be the most famous crocodile in the world, as well as a host of others that have been immortalised on promotional posters, in personal tattoos and on popular social-media profiles.

They feature regularly in global publications such as the New York Post and Newsweek.

Now that a state parliamentary committee has ruled out strengthening croc-cull laws, experts and tour operators say it is time for Shire locals to fully embrace living in croc country, with the huge reptiles attracting tourists from across the world who are returning time and time again to see the long-lived creatures.

So, how many of our crocs can you name?

What’s in a name?

Shakespeare reminds us that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but what about a Dusty-Rose croc by any other name?

The naming of Douglas Shire crocodiles - or Bilngkumu if you call them by their Kuku Yalangi Indigenous title - can even become controversial at times.

Some local crocs do not have an official name - sometimes because they may be in danger of being removed from a waterway at any time - while others, like “Howard”, have their location kept secret by authorities to help protect them from would-be killers.

Then, there is the case of the Mowbray River croc, who is called King Mo the Third, Fluffy or Xeres, depending on which famous social-media star you may talk to.

Apparently the name “King Mo” is favoured by the locals, and he is known as “the third” because two other crocs were removed before him by the State Government Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation Department (DETSI).

There is much conjecture about the names of the crocs living in Port Douglas and the Cape Tribulation region, but Crocodile Specialist Group member David White told Newsport last week the naming conventions are simpler in his patch.

“On the Daintree River most people follow the same names,” Mr White said.

“I have to have accurate records.”

So Mr White’s region includes Scarface, Bung Eye, Big Nick and Dusty Rose.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Croc on the Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course

The 4.7m reptile Scarface is considered by many to be the most well-known croc in the world - when he went missing for a time in 2023 he made the news at several of the world’s biggest media organisations including Newsweek in the US.

“He’s super famous,” Mr White said. 

“Probably the most famous of them all.”

Scarface has been “dominating his stretch of the Daintree River for decades”, according to social media site Wildman Adventures.

“When Scarface went missing I got messages from around the world,” Mr White said.

The more than 70-year-old croc helps inspire tourists to return to the region year after year.

Sometimes Big Nick gets called Lumpy, but that can be more of a generic name for a croc due to the lumps on their faces.

There is also Charlotte, Madge, a girl called Bruce, Sammy, Sandy, Nate and Scuter.

Nate is the poster boy for the Crocwise campaign, featuring on airport signs and other paraphernalia.

And there is also the tragic tale of Lizzie the Queen, who was world famous until she was illegally killed in 2023.

“When Lizzie died we raised $10,000 for Crime Stoppers in less than a week to find her killer and I got over 1500 messages from around the world upset about her,” Mr White said. 

“So they are definitely very famous.”

Lizzie was tragically found dead on the banks of the Daintree River.

Believed to be at least 40 years old, she made a name for herself as a friendly tourist icon, posing for thousands of pictures across the decades - her name was inspired by the little wave she would give to passing boats, similar to the late monarch Queen Elizabeth II.