REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SYDNEY -- Dozens of crocodile heads have been found dumped and left to rot in a freezer in a small town in northern Australia, local media reported on Tuesday.

A group of children made the find when they investigated a freezer that had been left behind a local shop at the small town called Humpty Doo, 40 kilometers southeast of Darwin in Australia' s Northern Territory (NT).

Authorities on Tuesday said at least 50 crocodile heads - but as many as 70 - had been stuffed inside the freezer.

NT national parks and wildlife officers have joined the investigation.

Crocodiles are considered a protected species in Australia, with anyone convicted of killing the animal facing a fine of 76, 500 Australian dollars (55,779 U.S. dollars), or five years in jail.

A limited number of permits are issued each year for local hunters to kill or remove problem crocodiles that pose a danger to the community.

Crocodile skin is incredibly valuable in the global fashion industry.

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