Franklin said he is "staggered" by the crocodile's journey, but the team is yet to understand how the crocodile navigated its way home.
"Crocodiles are more closely related to birds, so maybe they are using similar navigational tools such as magnetic fields and smell," he said.
Franklin, from the School of Integrative Biology, says the key goal of the project is to understand more about the movement patterns of larger crocodiles to see if relocation would be an effective management strategy for problem crocodiles.
Problem crocs
In Queensland, Australia, problem crocodiles are "taken out of the system" and put in zoos and croc farms.
"It's sad because we are losing their genetic input in the wild and croc numbers in Queensland are still recovering from the killings the 1970s," he said.
The homing ability of the crocodiles would appear to rule out relocation.And relocation may even add to the problem as crocodiles become upset, and possibly more aggressive, when displaced.
"They seem to have a strong home fidelity," Franklin said.
The research is a collaboration between the university, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Irwin's Australia Zoo. Franklin said besides Irwin's "huge intellectual input," he also provided funding and logistical support to help catch the crocodiles.
The publication of the study was delayed by Irwin's death in September last year.
