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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 23 March 08
24 March 08 'Supersize Crocs: Ambush of the Nile roc'
You've seen it before, but such a scene still packs a wallop: A giant Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) ambushing the vulnerable Wildebeest. This clip is dated February 5, 2007. See it here.
26 March 08 We're in jaws of prime spot to trap gators
A short item on what it takes to be a "nuisance alligator trapper" in Florida.
According to the gator stats kept by Harry Dutton, the coordinator for the Alligator Management Program, a division of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Palm Beach County tallied 1,336 nuisance alligator calls, resulting in 810 "harvested" alligators, Broward County got 534 calls.
"It's just a function of the juxtaposition of people and wetlands," Dutton said. In other words, we've pushed development, replete with golf course communities and man-made lakes, into prime alligator territory.
"I'm not picking on New Yorkers," said Ricky Kramer, who owns Kramer's Gator Control , "but when they come down and see an alligator, they freak out, even though the alligator's not bothering anybody." http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/local_news/epaper/2008/03/26/s1b_bino_0326.html
26 March 08 'Honey, have you seen my crocodile anywhere?'
In Karachi, Pakistan, young wildlife photographer Syed Faraz Ali is locally infamous for keeping wildlife subjects in his crowded apartment .... including young crocodiles.
"I have kept snakes, wild cats and even crocodiles in makeshift cages at my residence despite the fact that keeping such animals is quite uncomfortable, and unusual..."
He recalled that a baby crocodile fled its'fish-pond and remained unaccounted for, for over two weeks. He says it attacked him and badly crushed his wrist while he was trying to re-capture him, but adds that the incident did not lessened his affection for the reptile.
According to him, crocodiles are not poisonous and those he had kept his residence were not big enough to cause any considerable harm to him or any other of his family members ... http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=103097 25 March 08 Trapper catches gator that nearly caught dog
In Lutz Florida a 6.5 foot/2-metre alligator that tried to turn a dog into supper is no longer worrying the neighborhood.
A 7-pound Maltese-toy poodle mix had wriggled his way through a rip in a fence and headed down to the pond. The dog's owner heard the dog yelping. At that point, the alligator had gripped Gizmo's back leg. Cathy Piendel ran toward the animals, yelling, and the alligator let go.
Later, it took third-generation trapper Mickey Fagan only 15 minutes to lure the alligator to the shore with gator calls and beef lung. The alligator will most likely be destroyed, the trapper said. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/25/trapper-catches-gator-nearly-caught-dog/
22 March 08 There's a crocodile in my garden
(Lesego Masemola) In S Africa, a Pretoria woman and her gardener received a truly unexpected guest this week when a crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) somehow made it's way onto the premises.
Animal lover Trollip admitted she was "surprised" and "I did not expect to see a crocodile in a residential area. I knew we had to capture it somehow and keep it safe. I believe someone was trying to keep it as a pet otherwise it would be in its natural habitat,".
Trollip and Motaung used the top of a bird cage to trap the crocodile. Conservationist, Hencke Marais from the Tshwane Nature Conservation said it was highly unlikely that one would find a crocodile in Pretoria unless someone was illegally trying to keep it as a pet. http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20080322093927194C411953 20 March 08 Alligator case solved - Human intervention leads to death
The case of a young alligator, that fell from the back of a pick-up truck a week ago near the entrance to the Americus Village, Georgia shopping center, has been solved.
The 5-ft/ 1.5-m. long, approximately 5-year-old alligator fell from the truck and was hit by a passing car. The reptile had to be euthanized because of the extent of its injuries.
Georgia Ranger Lawrence said a caller claimed to have found the alligator alongside Ga. Highway 118 and that the 'gator was already injured when he found it'. He had planned to transport to the Sumter Humane Society when he remembered they needed to stop by Hart Eye Care before it closed, and then drove on toward the Humane Society. When they arrived there, they discovered the alligator had "jumped out somewhere along the road." http://www.americustimesrecorder.com/local/local_story_080004539.html?keyword=topstory 18 March 08 Global encomiums to protect alligators in MP
World Conservation Union (IUCA) has praised the crisis management efforts undertaken in Madhya Pradesh to check deaths of alligators.
A four-member team was sent to National Chambal Sanctuary which comprised alligator experts Dr FW Fitz Huchzermeyer, Onderstepoort, South Africa, Dr Paulo Marteli, Ocean Park, Hong Kong, Dr Samuel Martin, Law Freme Oxe, France and Dr Brian Stacy, University of Florida, USA. This team made an in-depth study from January 28, 2008 to February 12, 2008. The team said that the efforts undertaken at the state-level were effective. In his letter, Web has explicitly written that remarkable progress has been made in management of this crisis mainly due to the strategy adopted in India. http://www.centralchronicle.com/20080319/1903021.htm 14 March 08 Alligatoren können ihre lunge verschieben
The German version of previously posted 14 March 08 Alligators move lungs to dive, roll in water. Alligatoren sind schnelle und lautlose Räuber. Dazu müssen die Reptilien gute Schwimmer sein - denn nur wenn sie ohne verräterische Wellen zu verursachen an ahnungslose Beute heranschwimmen, können sie diese blitzartig töten. Das schaffen sie mit Hilfe ihrer Lungen. http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,541251,00.html
23 March 08 Contradictory reports Over mysterious gharial deaths
The findings of India's Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board in relation to the "mysterious" death of around 100 gharials include that lead and cadmium were not found in the waters of the river Yamuna and that the animal's deaths were not due to ingested toxins. http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/23/stories/2008032354620700.htm 22 March 08 Gharial deaths still remain a mystery
The reason behind the death of more than 100 ghariyals in National Chambal Sanctuary is yet to be traced. But, the impact of the tragedy has certainly mellowed down with time.
Only one carcass has been fished out so far in the month of March. In the past three months, however, some 109 ghariyals (the Indian Gharial, Gavialis gangeticus) have perished with one or two being fished out daily from the affected part of the Chambal river which lies at its confluence with the Yamuna.
"It has something to do with the rising temperature," said Parikshit Gautam, director, freshwater and wetlands programme, World Wildlife Federation-India. "Since December, January and February were all months of freezing temperatures, tragedy might have aggravated."
The tragedy assumed national proportions with the ministry of environment and forests stepping into the matter in, but on the ground, things are as vague as ever. Polluted river water and disturbance in food chain are seen as the likely causes of the deaths. However, reports could come up which might reveal a relatively unknown cause.
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