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CROCODOPOLIS world of crocodilians TM SCIENCE · CULTURE · INDUSTRY · NEWS · COMMUNICATION · CONSERVATION
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NEWS
The CROC PRESS Regular coverage of crocodilians and people in headlines worldwide.
Wes von Papineäu, News Page Editor Email: crocnews@crocodopolis.net _________________________________________________
Week of 20 January 08
"Crocodiles broaden smiles of Thai entrepreneurs"
Check out this week's Croc TV featurette.
17 January 08 Gators dive into Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium on Thursday installed some hard-shelled swimmers and some mean-eyed lizards in a display in the River Scout exhibit. As a handful of visitors watched, aquarium employees eased 10 turtles and seven alligators in the tank where the South American arowana once glided. The reptiles represent species native to Georgia and other southern states. http://www.ajc.com/news/content/living/stories/2008/01/17/aquarium_0117.html
19 January 08 Theft of croc warning signs Endangering lives
Lives are being put at risk with thieves repeatedly stealing crocodile warning signs from the Gladstone region's popular fishing spots.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife (QPWS) yesterday expressed concern over the theft of a sign from the boat ramp at Wild Cattle Creek at Tannum Sands on Wednesday.
18 January 08 Rescuing animals, economy in Michigan
This is a follow-up to the January 11 item, "Michigan to get new alligator park":
Michigan's Athens Township will have some scaly new residents and a potential economic boon following approval of the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary & Zoological Park site plan.
The park, expected to open in May, will cover four of 16.6 acres/20.2 hectares at 1698 M-66, just north of the village. Arranged like any other zoo, visitors will browse through several holding ponds of alligators, snakes, frogs, turtles and more.
Critchlow presented a five-year plan to the commission, saying he expects two alligator ponds and the tortoise display within the first year.
The alligator ponds include a 18,000 square foot/5486 square meters pond for medium crocodilians (about 3 -5 ft/1-1.5 m in length) and an 80-by-95-foot pond for larger alligators. These ponds will be protected with two layers of fence, the inner layer including an inward-inclined lip preventing the animals from climbing out. Special viewing areas with bulletproof glass will allow closer viewing.
"The safety of the animals is number one, as well as the safety of the public and my staff," Critchlow told the commission. http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801110304
18 January 08 Crocs just love harbour views
Parks and Wildlife officers removed 237 saltwater crocodiles from Darwin Harbour last year, 10 short from the record haul of 247 caught in 2004.
Minister for Parks and Wildlife Len Kiely said the program aimed to remove crocs from the harbour to create a safer environment for water enthusiasts.
Mr Kiely still urged people to be aware of crocodiles.
"The public needs to be aware that there are and will continue to be crocodiles in Darwin Harbour,'' he said.
"They are a part of the Territory.''
The largest crocodile trapped was 4.2 metres/13.8 feet, but Mr Kiely says he'll keep on swimming at Darwin beaches despite the number and size caught.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/01/18/3125_ntnews.html 17 January 08 Hundreds of crocs hauled from harbour
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/17/2140854.htm 17 January 08
Crocodiles
still keen on Darwin Harbour
http://news.smh.com.au/crocodiles-still-keen-on-darwin-harbour/20080117-1mjz.html 16 January 08 KZN rangers hunt for killer croc
This is a follow up to the January 9 item, "Two teens eaten by crocs in Africa":
Wildlife officials said they are intensifying their efforts to find a monstrous four-metre/ crocodile, suspected of eating two northern KwaZulu-Natal residents in recent weeks.
Police spokesman Captain Jabulani
Mdletshe said a problem in capturing the reptile was that
the meat bait being used had twice been stolen.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=682692
16 January 08 White crocodiles spotted In Orissa sanctuary
A 2008 census reports that there has been a marginal but proportionate growth of highly threatened salt water crocodiles with 1498 species found inhabiting in and outside India’s Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary. The figure was 1482 last year.
The outstanding feature of this year's census was that as many as 10 adult and sub-adult white crocs were counted inhabiting in these water bodies.
The latest census figure of
salt-water crocodiles has brought in its wake an encouraging
trend. As many as 148 large crocs of ten to twenty-three
foot long were spotted.
http://www.kalingatimes.com/orissa_news/news1/20080116-white-crocodiles-spotted.htm
16 January 08 Aussie croc man moves on
Australia’s Far North's crocodile response teams will be managed from Townsville and Brisbane, despite more than 45 croc sightings in Cairns in the past year.
Former Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service conservation services manager Mark Read left Cairns last month and is now based in Townsville. Dr Read handled recommendations for crocodile management, approving the appropriate action and conducting research projects.
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2008/01/16/874_local-news.html
16 January 08 Killer disease wipes out gharials
(Bahar Dutt) From India, one reporter’s recap of the Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) death situation with the Chambal River system. The article is not so much interesting for the information that has previously been reported, as it is for the reporter’s obvious concern for the unique animals.
“Why should we care if a few hundred
gharials have died? Well, because the gharial was once a
symbol of all that was right with Indian conservation.
Having shrunk to very low populations in the 1980s, gharial
numbers had revived solely because of an active captive
breeding programme. Sand mining used to be one of the
biggest problems affecting the habitat. Last year, this too
was stopped following orders from the Supreme Court. Things
were beginning to look up.”
“And why is the gharial worth saving? There are many reasons apart from the obvious one: the need to save a species. But most important is this: because it is possible to save the gharial. It's a localised problem - …. In an Indian conservation scene plagued by habitat destruction and poaching, here is one species that can be saved. And if we don't act now, the gharial will be the first species in independent India to have gone extinct.”
“Only because we didn't care enough.”
http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs/bahardutt/258/3587/killer-disease-wipes-out-ghariyals.html
15 January 08 Puppy faces uncertain futureAfter surviving alligator attack
The tan and white puppy that survived the grip of an alligator earned the name "Lucky." The mixed-breed hound was entangled in a three-on-one fight with an alligator at the Tierra Verde community in Delray Beach on Sunday. One of the dogs died. Another ran away.
How fortuitous his rescue was remains to be seen as officers monitor him for rabies. The 4- to 6-month-old puppy could be euthanized if he displays signs of the deadly virus, which infects the central nervous system.
Alligator hunter Rick Kramer left Tierra Verde empty-handed Monday. The alligator known to live in the community's pond may have been spooked by the boat Kramer was using for the search. The gator most likely will stay beneath the surface if the weather remains cool.
15 January 08 Letter: More than one victim In Fl. alligator attack on dogs
An interesting and even sided letter-to-the editor on the various ‘victims’ resulting from the gator-dog incident, and how to stop such incidents in the future:
The first victim is the dog that was killed.
The second victim is the dog that ran away, and may have died of shock, alone.
The third victim is the dog that was pulled from the pond, who was so traumatized that he bit his rescuer, for which there is a chance that he will be killed.
The fourth victim is the caring person who helped rescue the dog. The fifth victim is the alligator that saw the dog as a way to feed himself, because now it is proposed that he also be killed.
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