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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.
By Wes von Papineäu News Page Editor Email: crocnews@crocodopolis.net _________________________________________________
Week of 21 January 07
26 January 07 VIDEO Man 'befriends' giant crocodile
A video report about a man in Costa Rica who performs a weekly show, cavorting in water and on land with a very large ( 4.6m/15ft + in length) American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Impressive behavioral conditioning. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/26012007/356/costa-rican-man-tames-croc.html Contributed by I. Dupont
24-25 January 07 Croc trap vandals and 'We did not do it'
Australian wildlife officials are concerned that somebody is tampering with a crocodile trap set to capture a 3-4 m/9-12 ft croc lurking near a boat dock where tourists have been leaving it food. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service environmental services manager Dr. Mark Read condemned the tampering as putting multiple lives at risk. "Sometimes we have been met by people in the area who have very strong opinions about whether a crocodile should be removed." However, angry local residents claim that the trap was damaged by natural tidal causes and resent being implicated as damaging the government trap. Further, some locals appear to be 'less than impressed' with the efforts of the government croc-collection team to secure the animal. http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,2110828 http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,21114906
25 January 07 Be croc-wise
An Australian Conservation Services Manager is attempting to remind locals and visitors to his area that "there is an inherent risk in engaging in any type of water-based activity in crocodile habitat, especially activities like diving, snorkeling and spear fishing where the person has deliberately entered the water in crocodile habitat." In addition, during certain times female crocodiles defend their nest and may be very aggressive, and male crocodiles appear to become more mobile and may be traveling around searching for potential mates. "Based on analysis of crocodile attacks across northern Australia, there appear to be situations where crocodiles attack people either as a direct territorial response or to investigate an 'unusual' creature in the environment. The manager was responding to queries as to a possible motive for a recent crocodile attack on a policeman vacationing in his area. http://www.torresnews.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380
23
January 07
Warm winter weather Brings out alligators
A
short report, with video, on a Florida effort to capture cat-eating
alligators.
Trappers say
normally during this time of year, alligators stay underwater to keep
warm, but warm weather has brought them to the surface and they’re
apparently beginning to ‘wander.’
22
January 07
CategoryID=3451&show=localnews&om=1 You can find a link to other versions of this story with the nice Snopes people at: http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/wcgator.asp
23 January 07 'Croc School' scholarship Honors conservationist Behler
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park has announced a scholarship for it's annual AZA 'croc school', in honor of deceased conservationist and herpetologist John Behler. http://www.crocodopolis.net/index2.htm
22 January 07 Wild croc feeds fears
A follow-on to a previously posted 19 Jan item below; this one describes how thrill-seeking tourists in Australia are luring a monster 3-4 m/9-12 ft croc to a boat ramp by leaving food for it. A local fisherman was concerned that the feeding routine is resulting in the crocodile developing "some very bad habits and it is putting people's lives at risk." http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,21095838
16
January 07 Waak hele nag by lyk
20
January 07
10 bucks gets you a gator permit Reptiles don't have to be licensed Until they reach 5 -foot length (Patrick Guinane)
Indiana,
USA state law allows young crocodilians -- alligators, caimans and
crocodiles -- to be sold in pet stores and kept domestically.
However, once they grow to 1.5 m/5ft in length, they require a
$10 permit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of
Fish and Wildlife.
People typically purchase the reptiles as babies and get rid of
them two or three years later.
The
Humane Society of the United States wants state lawmakers to put a
moratorium on new wild animal permits and is backing legislation by
state Sen. Connie Sipes, D-New Albany, to do so.
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/01/20/news/lake_county/ dfbc1cc4717571f8862572690000374a.txt 18 January 07 No charges yet over Proserpine croc shooting
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in North Queensland, Australia
says it does not have enough evidence to charge anyone over the shooting
of a 2.9 m/9 ft-long crocodile at Proserpine last year. In October,
rangers said they were close to a breakthrough in the case, thanks to
information from the public and forensic analysis, but ultimately did
not have enough evidence to lay criminal charges.
The maximum penalty for killing a crocodile is nearly $17,000.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200701/1829166.htm?tropic
18
January 07
Crocodiles increase in numbers In Bhitarkanika park
India's
renowned Bhitarkanika sanctuary has added 28 crocodiles in the last year
to reach an impressive total of 1,482 - including 503 hatchlings and 224
adults, as well as three reptiles measuring more than 6.1m/20ft in
length.
The crocodile breeding and rearing project in Dangamala started
in 1975 by the Ministry of Forests and Environment in collaboration with
the United Nations Development Programme. http://www.rxpgnews.com/india/Crocodiles-increase-their-numbers-in-
18
January 07
Reptiles roaming
Papua
New Guinea's
Bougainvilleans are concerned that "puk-puks" in local rivers
are killing people. In the last seven years, the crocodiles have claimed
three lives in the area and many more cases may have gone unreported.
The first known time the crocodiles attacked in Bougainville was in 2000
when a 14-year-old boy was swallowed in a river followed by another
recorded case where a man was also killed. Suggestions have been made
that the Autonomous Bougainville Government should authorise the mass
killing of the crocodiles in the region, or that a company should hire
villagers to hunt crocodiles and for the skins.
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20070118/focus.htm
19
January 07
Gator corpse adds to Gary woes
Mayor
Rudy Clay says he couldn't believe it when he saw the latest piece of
rubbish illegally dumped along a Gary, Indiana street -- a 1.5-1.8m/5-6
ft-long dead alligator.
Clay will hold a news conference Friday at City Hall to discuss
the alligator find and the consequences of dumping illegally in Gary.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070119/LOCAL/701190532
19
January 07
Croc country
A
trap has been set for a 4m/13.1ft-long crocodile seen sunning itself at
a popular Cromarty Landing boat ramp.
Officials
said the trap would stay in the water for at least two weeks, before an
assessment was made whether to remove it. If the croc was still hanging
around and refusing to take the bait, Queensland Parks & Wildlife
Service staff may try harpooning the reptile. http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,21088989%
19
January 07
'Monsters not mine'
An
Australian has been blamed for releasing 20 well-fed crocodiles into the
wild when he fled Bougainville's civil unrest in the 1990s.
These "monster crocodiles" have (reportedly) been
eating villagers in Papua New Guinea.
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