Kangaroos Fleeing Floods Block Runways Flights Forced To Turn Back; Big Crocodiles Leaving River For Floodwaters

Hundreds of kangaroos and wallabies seeking to escape widespread flooding hopped onto an airstrip Thursday in northwestern Queensland, forcing several flights to turn back.

“Some light aircraft were due to fly in, but they were canceled because the ‘roos wouldn’t move, even though shots were fired to drive them away,” Emergency Services coordinator Ron Crawford said.

Residents of Burketown were anxiously wading through the floodwaters that have swamped the town for the past week, fearful of crocodiles flushed out of rivers and creeks by record flooding in the region, 500 miles northwest of Sydney.

Many of the big crocodiles who live in the Albert River were spreading out with the floodwaters, Crawford said. “You don’t go near any logs if you’re wading through floodwater because they might snap at you,” he said.

There have been no casualties so far from the flooding, but livestock losses are expected to be high, said Burketown Mayor Anne Clarke. Engineers also expect extensive damage to roads, bridges and fences.

Helicopters rescued 22 people stranded near Doomadgee, west of Burketown and from the Normanton district, she said.

Two fishermen feared drowned turned up at the Burketown pub Wednesday night after being trapped by the swollen Albert River for three days.