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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 11 May 08
CROCTV:
11 May 08 'Behind the Scenes of Wild Florida'
Crocodilian wrangler Joe Wasilewski handles an American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) for the Florida documentary series, Wild Florida, tethering the reptiles for aquatic video shooting that makes them appear naturally free. See it here.
11 May 08 Huntin' gators
Longer harvesting days may reduce Florida's growing gator population Hoping to manage the state's population of about one alligator for every 18 people, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has loosened the reins on hunters.
Whether the new rules will have an effect on the state's continuing efforts to cull the gator population remain to be seen, but past efforts haven't put as much of a dent in the population as biologists were seeking.
Alligator hunting season runs from Aug. 15 to Nov. 1 and the commission will begin selling 4,500 harvest permits on a first-come, first-served basis 03-09 June. Hunters will be limited to one permit that allows the harvest of two gators. http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080511/SPORTS05/805110343 11 May 08 Alligator Q & A
Alligators, like bullfrogs, bellow to attract mates The eminent biologist Whit Gibbons responds to a variety of questions about things gator-like. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080511/NEWS/910040799/-1/NEWS03 10 May 08 Uganda to conduct crocodile census
A team of experts from the US and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is to conduct a census of crocodiles in Kidepo and Murchison Falls national parks.
Aggrey Rwetsiba, a researcher with UWA said UWA has a proposal to count crocodiles countrywide, but will initially concentrate on the two protected areas since the census for crocodiles is expensive.
James Omoding, UWA's head of community conservation, said interventions were being proposed to improve the way fishermen relate with the crocodiles and to sensitise (and pay) their communities "... as an incentive so that the communities do not destroy the eggs of the crocodiles or the baby crocodiles." http://allafrica.com/stories/200805120841.html 10 May 08 How I escaped from croc's jaws
A long piece featuring the ordeal of 30-year-old Bosco Nyanzi who survived a crocodile attack ... and the subsequent efforts to get him medical treatment.
"That day, I woke up early as usual and had breakfast with my wife and two children before going to the lake. The day was bright and sunny. As I bade my children goodbye, it did not cross my mind that I would escape death by a whisker," he says.
"This place has lost seven people to crocodiles," said one official. "Those beasts are ruthless. They smashed the bones of one of the victims as if they were chewing popcorn," he says.
Uganda Wildlife Authority, which has the mandate to protect people being attacked by crocodiles has a capture team it has trained to handle what it calls "problem crocodiles". They have relocated the crocodile that mauled 100 people in Bugiri District to Buwama crocodile farm. http://allafrica.com/stories/200805120807.html
12 May 08 Prague zoo on mission to save gharial
The Prague zoo has launched a
test program to save the Indian crocodile-like Indian Gharial (Gavialis
gangeticus) from the brink of extinction with a million-dollar
pavilion for the animals to bask, and hopefully reproduce, in. 11 May 08 Anglers find dead crocodile
Two anglers, who went fishing at the Lido Beach in
Johor Baru recently, stumbled upon the floating carcass of a
2-metre/6-foot crocodile. It is believed that the crocodile got entangled
while trying to feed on the fish which had been caught in a fishing net.
http://www.nst.com.my/Monday/Features/2236225/Article/index_html 08 May 08 Entebbe police seek crocodile smugglers
Police in Entebbe have intensified efforts to hunt for smugglers who stole a baby Nile crocodile from the Uganda Wildlife Educational Centre in Entebbe.
The reptile was found wrapped in diapers in a crate
at the airport where the smugglers abandoned it after discovering that
security was too tight for them to get the animal out of the country.
10 May 08 Gator stories make Midwest reports appear lame
A humourous piece about some
of the more unusual gator-human interaction stories that have come out
of Florida over the past couple of years
http://www.examiner.net/sports/x401612378/Gator-stories-make-Midwest-wildlife-reports-appear-lame 10 May 08 Skeleton of famed gator Oscar to go on display
The skeleton of Oscar, the most famous resident of Okefenokee Swamp Park is being assembled and will be put on display like a museum dinosaur.
As his bones show, four-metre/13-foot,
450-kilogram/990-pound Oscar was a tough customer, surviving a shotgun
blast to the face, at least three bullet wounds, broken bones and
arthritis since at least 1946.
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/liveit/article/292173 09 May 08 Alligator caught at Alabama park
A story and video about a seven-foot/ 2.1-meter alligator was captured at a Mobile, Alabama park Friday evening.
http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/alligator_caught_at_langan_park/13769/ 09 May 08 NEW Zoo's albino gator makes its debut
Wisconsin’s NEW Zoo officials is about to put Lucky on display.
The male albino alligator was purchased from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida with a $10,000 donation. Lucky is one of only 30 known albino alligators in the United States.
"It's such a rarity," Maria Fisher, zoo operations
manager said. "You try to wrap your mind around how truly rare this
animal is. People will want their children to meet Lucky and the
children will see Lucky grow with them. It's unlike anything you've seen
before." 09 May 08 Alligator crossing: Carolina road closed temporarily
From Wilmington, N Carolina We have a report and video on a road-crossing 6-foot/1.8 metre-long alligator – the critter taking 15 minutes to cross 6 lanes of halted traffic.
"Hot weather makes them lethargic," Sgt. Curt
Stansbury of the Wilmington Police Department said. "It's not uncommon
for alligators crossing the road to take a little nap."
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080509/ARTICLE/805090350/0/sports 08 May 08 Two alligators caught near Fla. school grounds
Two alligators showed up
near H.L. Johnson Elementary School, sending officials scrambling to
trap them before children arrived.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/west/epaper/2008/05/08/0508gator.html 08 May 08 Gators spotted in Texas park
A young alligator was captured in a park in Seguin, Texas and the search for the animal’s mother and siblings continues.
A portion of Starcke Park East was blocked off after
a park visitor spotted a large alligator and about four babies swimming
near the junction of the Guadalupe River and Walnut Creek. Two wildlife biologists were searching the area thoroughly for the rest of the family.
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