Croc stalks dog off Darwin beach

DARWIN - A crocodile has stalked a 22-year-old woman and her daughter at a popular beach in Darwin after a failed attempt to attack their dog.

The two metre saltie pursued the black labrador in shallow water at Casuarina Beach on Tuesday morning.

The dog's owner said she had thrown a ball into the water when she noticed the reptile.

The dog managed to escape the attack outside the front of the local surf life saving club, but the crocodile then turned its attention to the woman and her two-year-old daughter.

"After we had backed up and started walking down the beach the crocodile was following us," she told ABC radio in Darwin.

"Looking into the water we could see it just floating in the water in line with us."

Rangers have been patrolling the beach, urging people to stay clear of the water and traps are expected to be set in nearby Rapid Creek later on Tuesday.

A boat carrying a crocodile management team was launched about midday.

Chief District Ranger Dale Hartman said all efforts were being made to find the crocodile.

"The rangers based at Casuarina Coastal Reserve will also continue to patrol the beach by vehicle to search for any evidence of the crocodile and will be on site to advise the public of the crocodile sighting," he said.

Although the beach remains open to the public, Mr Hartman said people should be extra cautious in the area.

"The public should also be very cautious around the Rapid Creek area as this is where the crocodile may be moving towards," he said.

The attack comes amid calls for the government to start culling crocodiles, with recent figures estimating there are as many as 80,000 of them in NT waterways.

It follows the death of Briony Goodsell, who was killed at Black Jungle Swamp on March 16.

The 11-year-old was playing with her sister and two friends in a swollen creek in rural Darwin when a crocodile dragged her under the water.

Her funeral is being held on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a survey of Katherine River on Monday night has failed to find any crocodiles after a saltie was spotted near the Red Gum Caravan Park.

Wielding harpoons and a spotlight, the rangers spent most of the night hunting the waterway, which is popular with tourist and closed for swimming during the wet season.

- AAP