Investigation launched after men photographed interfering with crocodile trap at Port Douglas 
 
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 A group of men seen interfering with a crocodile trap in far north Queensland has been condemned by Queensland's environment department "in the strongest possible terms". 
 
 Photos posted to Facebook show the men climbing on top of and even inside a baited crocodile trap at the Port Douglas marina. 
 
 The trap is not far from where 79-year-old Anne Cameron was taken by a crocodile earlier this month. 
 
 The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) has launched an investigation into the "stupid and reckless interference". 
 
 "These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present," a department spokesperson said in a statement. 
 
 "It is extremely dangerous to interfere with a crocodile trap, regardless of whether or not there is a crocodile within. 
 
 "It is not an exaggeration to say that interfering with crocodile traps can be potentially life-threatening for the person concerned." 
 
 Stiff penalties introduced 
 
 The Queensland Government recently introduced penalties of more than $15,000 for people who deliberately interfere with a crocodile trap. 
 
 The penalties were introduced in response to a previous incident of people caught playing on a crocodile trap in the far north. 
 
 Environment Minister Steven Miles said anyone with information on the matter should contact the department. 
 
 "I've seen some pretty ridiculous things in my time as Environment Minister, particularly when it comes to crocodiles, but this one takes the cake," Mr Miles said. 
 
 "You've got grown men swimming in a crocodile trap, exactly where we put the bait for the crocodiles. 
 
 "The reason the trap is there is because we suspect there are crocodiles in the area. 
 
 "The trap is dangerous in and of itself, and of course if the crocodile were to appear that would be even more dangerous." 
 
 Topics: crocodile, animal-attacks, animals, port-douglas-4871 ||||| Group shown swimming into a baited trap at the scene of a recent fatal attack in Queensland have been criticised 
 
 A group of men photographed swimming into a baited croc trap near the scene of a fatal attack in Queensland appear to be vying for the “idiots of the century award”, a local mayor has said. 
 
 Photos of the men swimming around and even climbing into the trap at the Port Douglas Marina have surfaced online, leaving the mayor of Douglas Shire, Julia Leu, stunned. 
 
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 “I was absolutely gobsmacked, this is incredibly stupid and dangerous behaviour. I’m wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award,” she told ABC radio. 
 
 The pictures show the men frolicking in the water and sitting in the mouth of the trap at the marina, not far from where a 4.3m croc took a 79-year-old woman with dementia, Anne Cameron. 
 
 The croc that took her less than two weeks ago was trapped in the Mowbray River, south of Port Douglas. Leu said the area around the marina was a well known croc habitat. 
 
 Steven Miles (@StevenJMiles) Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don’t swim in them! It’s stupid, and illegal. @qldpol @7NewsCairns pic.twitter.com/nQsUZwI3Wc 
 
 Death of Queensland's largest crocodile in 30 years could spark violent power grab Read more 
 
 Queensland’s environment minister, Steven Miles, also expressed disbelief, tweeting the image with the message: “Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don’t swim in them! It’s stupid and illegal.” 
 
 Miles later said the men were pictured swimming around the trap, climbing onto it and also venturing inside, where they posed for pictures wearing broad smiles. 
 
 “It appears they’ve ... swum under a sign that says it’s illegal to tamper with this trap and put themselves literally where we put the bait,” he told reporters. “I’ve seen some pretty ridiculous things in my time as environment minister, particularly when it comes to crocodiles, but this one takes the cake.” 
 
 Miles said it was dumb but not illegal to swim around croc traps. 
 
 “You can’t make everything that’s stupid illegal,” he said. 
 
 But any attempt to interfere or tamper with traps would expose offenders to hefty fines.
– Authorities in Australia say they're "gobsmacked" by the sheer stupidity of a group of men seen swimming to a crocodile trap in Queensland—and getting inside with the bait. The men were spotted getting into the mouth of the trap at the Port Douglas marina, close to where a crocodile is suspected of killing an elderly dementia patient earlier this month, reports the Guardian. "This is incredibly stupid and dangerous behavior," says Julia Leu, a local mayor. "I'm wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award." "Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don't swim in them! It's stupid, and illegal," tweeted Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles. "I've seen some pretty ridiculous things in my time as environment minister, particularly when it comes to crocodiles, but this one takes the cake," he told reporters. He warned that the traps are dangerous even without the crocodiles they're designed to attract. The Queensland government recently introduced a $15,000 fine for interfering with the traps after a similar incident, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. (This guy was mauled by a crocodile after jumping in a river to prove a point.)