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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 01 July 07
06 July 07 Gator
sightings
On 12 June Gina White, who lives along Twelvepole Creek, was out fishing with members of her family and the chicken livers they were using as bait attracted something that started swimming across the water. "You could tell it was an alligator," White said. "It was coming straight toward us."
She said she aimed her camera and snapped the fuzzy picture that has everyone in Wayne County talking.
At first, Charlie Shelton, the news editor for the Wayne County News, thought the photo had been doctored on a computer. "In my mind, I said, ‘It's either a high-class hoax or an alligator,' " Shelton recalled. "You could see the detailed plates on its back, the scales and its head." Shelton has rarely had a story generate such a sensation.
Joe Ward, a state conservation officer whose area includes Wayne County, speculated it's possible that someone bought a pet baby alligator in Florida, brought it home to Wayne, fed it generously and turned it loose when it got too big and ornery to be a proper house guest.
Ward, who works
for the law enforcement section of the state Division of Natural
Resources, said a couple of trips to Twelvepole Creek haven't provided
definitive proof one way or another.
http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/2007070662/Gator-sightings/
06 July 07 Crocs must be shot, says MP
All north Queensland, Australia residents and travellers should be armed with high-calibre weapons to protect themselves from crocodiles, according to maverick MP Bob Katter.
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said Mr Katter's suggestions were ridiculous. "The last thing Queensland needs is a bunch of gun-happy hillbillies on a crocodile shoot," she said.
Australia Zoo spokesman Wes Mannion, who captured rogue crocodiles with wildlife celebrity Steve Irwin, said there were many things in the world more dangerous than crocodiles. "What about Mr Katter's car? Cars kill thousands of people each year," Mr. Mannion said.
Environmental Protection Agency wildlife conservation branch director Rebecca Williams said there had been 17 attacks since 1985, and of those five were fatal. Research by
Queensland Parks and Wildlife scientist Mark Read has shown that about
60 per cent of people involved in incidents with crocodiles had been
drinking.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22023875-911,00.html?from=public_rss
06 July 07 Camp moved after croc tent invasion The camp site
at a Northern Territory, Australia billabong where a crocodile tried to
get into a tent has been moved. Campers at 4 Mile Hole in Kakadu must
now set up their tents 50m from the water.
"Kakadu
is crocodile country … "
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,23483,22027209-27977,00.html?from=public_rss 06 July 07 'Threat' gator shot in Texas
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden shot and killed a 9 foot/ 2.7 metre -long alligator just after midnight Thursday because he believed the animal "posted a threat to the public," a police report said.
A warden opted to shoot the gator based on a "totality of circumstances," said Game Warden Captain Danny Shaw. The animal was lurking in an area close to several residences, showed "aggressive tendencies;" and was unafraid to approach humans.
Killing the animal was the "worst-case scenario,"
said Lynn Cuny, the founder and executive director of Wildlife Rescue &
Rehabilitation. "The obvious thing that's disturbing about this is
lethal measures were used quickly," she said. "These are animals that
can, of course, pose a threat. But my gosh, we need to look at
everything in our power to not use lethal means."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA070607.01B.dead_gator.35d99ea.html
http://www.woai.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=d556b32f-0b97-4c1d-87a8-174e4f032e49 05 July 07 Learn everything you want to know About catching, skinning gators
Alligator hunting is dangerous enough when you know what you’re doing.
To help with safety, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is offering classes to teach permit holders how to properly harvest alligators. The three-hour classes will cover preparing for the hunt, hunting techniques and safety, harvesting and processing, caring for alligator hides and rules and regulations.
FWC recommends permit holders take the class, though
it is not mandatory. 04 July 07 Havde kæmpe alligator i kælderen Not only have the Danes been having a slew of croc-related incidents within their borders, but they actually take the time to report on crocodilian events taking place elsewhere … such as New York!
En alligator på to-en-halv meter er blevet fjernet fra sit hjem. Ejeren indså, at han ikke længere kunne styre det usædvanlige kæledyr.
En mand i New York må en tur til dyrehandleren for at finde et nyt kæledyr. Myndighederne har nemlig fjernet 'Jojo,' mandens kæmpe alligator. http://www.bt.dk/article/20070704/NYHEDER/70704022/
05 July 07 See ya later, alligator
According to Bob Bavirsha, a licensed rescuer with
the Chicago Herpetological Society, alligators and crocodiles are a lot
like people. They are intelligent, unique in appearance, have
their own personalities and live just about as long. They also appear to be good pets. They come when they are called, will listen to their handlers and can understand simple words.
However, he also cautions that you need proper (and spacious) facilities to care for the critters.
"It's important to be nice and friendly to them and
they will be nice and friendly to you."
http://www.starnewspapers.com/homerglen/news/454010,051ho2.article 04 July 07 Crocodile caught near Balele, India
“Snake” Satish transferred a 3 foot/1 metre,
3-month-old crocodile from a paddy field in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu and
released it into the Lakshmanateerta on Tuesday, according to
information received here. Mr. Satish has appealed to the people not to
kill crocodiles and inform the Forest Department if they notice them.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/04/stories/2007070456700300.htm 04 July 07 Animal control: See you later alligators Pennsylvania, USA animal control officers spent about two-and-a-half hours sloshing through the Pennypack Creek on Monday without finding any signs of more alligators.
After two alligators turned up in the Bryn Athyn section of the creek recently, the excursion isn't enough evidence to conclude there aren't any more out there, said Shawn Tarman, Upper Moreland's animal control officer. But waders can now approach the creek “at their own risk,” she said.
“It would make life a lot easier if someone would just come forward” and acknowledge letting the alligators loose,'' said Shawn Tarman, Upper Moreland's animal control officer. That way authorities would know for sure that there aren't any more roaming free.
However, waders can now
approach the creek “at their own risk.”
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-07042007-1372983.html 28 June 07 Krokodiller med til prinesessedåb
From Denmark we learn that: Et par krokodiller er inviteret med til prinsessedåben på søndag, som holdes over temaet "Australien". Og´dér bor jo korodiller...Rene Hedegård fra Krokodille Zoo på Falster er nemlig blevet bedt om at medvirke i arrangementet omkring dåben.
An as a teaser, we’re told … in Danish, that: Nil-krokodillen
er to et halvt år og er på 100 centimeter. Cuba-krokodillen er på bare
50 centimeter og den er halvandet år. Krokodillerne kan blive 60-70 år
og Nil-krokodillen har en maksimal størrelse på fire-fem meter, mens
Cuba-krokodillen kan blive to en halv meter. Who knew, eh?
http://jp.dk/indland/article987204.ece 22 June 07 Glemt krokodille flytter til Fy And in keeping with the Denmark-Today theme,
apparently a crocodile has been found in Denmark: Vissenbjerg
Terrarium har fået en ny logerende. En 60 cm lang krokodille blev
tidligere i dag indleveret som hittegods hos politiet i Horsens.
http://www.fyens.dk/article/816826
http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-7348611.html?rss
05 July 07 Lake Griffin, alligators, rebound
Lake Griffin, the Central Florida lake that has been the object of several years of study and rehabilitation after hundreds of alligators were found floating dead, is on the rebound. (The lake was mentioned in the profile of croc specialist Ralf Sommerlad published in February, and you may read the revealing studies: link1; link2; link3; and slideshow) - I. D. http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/7/3/local_lake_rebounds_now_fishing_destination.html
04 July 07 Gator Aid - Animal lover, officials Seek new home for 2 reptiles Little Girl and Chuck, 8-foot/2.4 metre- and
6-foot/1.8 metre-long alligators, have been living in the basement of a
home in Susquehanna Twp., Pennsylvania, but authorities say they don't
belong there. Brandon Barre said he took Chuck and Little Girl
into his home as a favor to a friend.
Without his help, the reptiles would have been homeless or suffered a fate much worse, said Barre, an animal lover who helps rescue abandoned and abused animals. But township officials told Barre he violated an ordinance by housing them in his North Sixth Street home and said the critters have to go. Barre wasn't cited for violating the law, but he and
township officials are looking for a new home for the gators.
Setting the alligators in what would be their natural habitat is also
out of the question because both were born in captivity.
While state law does not regulate where alligators
and other exotic animals can be housed, many municipalities do have
regulations.
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1183515033263250.xml&coll=1
http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews/2007/07/223800-alligators_found_in_dauphin_co.html 04 July 07 Some not-so-native reptiles Found
in Pennypack Creek
Following the
previously posted 28 June 07 "Are
there more gators in the Pennypack?", visitors to the Pennypack Creek in
Pennsylvania, USA are keeping an eye on stream banks when walking along
the creek and to stay on marked trails, although extraordinary concern
may not be necessary.
David Robertson, executive director of the Pennypack
Trust said "Clearly, these two alligators were released into the
Pennypack by a pet owner who either tired of them or who could no longer
deal with them physically because they had grown so large."
He suspects the alligators had been released into the creek sometime after the end of winter. Cold northern winters are too harsh for them to survive farther north than the Carolinas. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18550386&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187823&rfi=6
04 July 07 Siargao execs want return of crocodile
In the Philippines, recently elected Francisco Tinio
Matugas said he wanted the 18-feet/5.5 metre-plus -long giant crocodile
"Kibol" returned to his town from where he had been taken by a previous
official.
Shipped to a crocodile farm in Palawan in 1992 by
helicopter, ‘Kibol’ was notorious for attacking livestock such as pigs,
chickens and even people.
Natives of this town claimed that Kibol allegedly ate 20 people, but admitted they were all unrecorded since the attacks against humans were sporadic since 1960s. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/cag/2007/07/04/news/siargao.execs.want 03 July 07 These crocs are going places The sudden spurt in the crocodile population of 250
along a 8 km/5 mile stretch of India’s Bhadra River has been a cause for
concern. Perturbed by recent incidents of these muggers attacking
humans, plans are afoot to shift them to the backwaters of Bhadra
reservoir near Lakkavalli.
There are several theories as to why the local croc
population has began to grow so dramatically: the area is an ideal
breeding ground; the indiscriminate dumping of waste generated from
non-vegetarian restaurants and chicken stalls; and dumping of medical
waste from the city into the river.
According to a few residents of the area, there have
been many incidents of cowherds gone missing from the river bank, but
unfortunately, these incidents got buried in police documents as ‘death
by drowning.’
According to the deputy
conservator of forests, the operation to shift crocodiles may begin from
the first week of July.
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jul32007/spectrum2007070210615.asp 02 July 07 Famous croc implicated in missing children case dies
Eric, the Northern Territory's 5metre/16.4 foot, 700 kg/1500 pound, three-legged hellion has died, aged 60 at Gosford's Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales. Implicated in the disappearance of two Aboriginal children in the NT in the 1980s, Eric was captured for the safety of the community and taken to Darwin Crocodile Farm where his welcome rapidly wore thin. Eric bit off the heads of two female crocodiles with whom he was supposed to mate and lost his right rear leg in a duel with a fellow croc. But he mellowed with
age and was a sedate star attraction with a fan club of 10,000 members
across the world. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22001655-2,00.html
30 June 07 Giant crocodile kills dog, retreats to Nile A number of Egyptian fishermen in Giza reported that
a 16 foot/5 metre crocodile assaulted their boats recently. No
human injuries were reported although eyewitnesses said that they saw
the animal sneak back into the Nile at night, eating a dog that happened
to be there along the way.
The fishermen said that the crocodile attacked them
and tried to jump on board one of their boats, but they were successful
in fighting off the giant animal.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007794154
02 July 07 Gator-bitten golfer returns home From Tennessee we
discover that Bruce Burger has returned home and claims to be “doing
fine” after fending off a one-eyed, 11-foot/ 3.3metre long alligator
that attacked him Monday (See 26 June 07 "One-eyed
gator attacks Florida golfer")
“It wasn’t like an animal, it was more like an
amusement park ride,” said Burger in describing the pull of the gator.
What happened next was not clear to Burger, he said the only thoughts
that went through his mind were, “Could this be it for me?” and “Oh God,
help me to get away.”
Burger said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission officials told him the attack was likely due to the gator
being fed by golfers as they passed the pond.
http://www.loudon.xtn.net/index.php?template=news.view.subscriber&table=news&newsid=141939
30 June 07 Rare crocodilian Moves into zoo's new pavilion A ‘loan’ from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and a
US $45,000 (Euro 33,050) donation from Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and
Heating Service Inc. has resulted in the Central Florida Zoo being the
proud keeper of a rare female Black Caiman. The species is
endangered because the animals are often prized for their skin and meat.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD07063007.htm 29 June 07 Virginia woman wrangles Errant alligator into captivity
45-year-old Erin Kemp of
Great Falls Crossing, Virginia, USA, used a
guinea pig pen to trap a 2-½ foot/.76
metre alligator that had wandered into her
neighbourhood.
Though not unheard of, it's unusual to find an
alligator wandering around the suburbs, staffers at a local shelter
said. Having an alligator as a pet is illegal in Fairfax County, and
shelter employees suspect it was an abandoned pet. The
neighborhood is close to the Reston Zoo. But Kaci Rice, the zoo
director, said yesterday that the zoo's alligators were all accounted
for.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062801343.html 28 June 07 Alligator survives After
somebody cut off its tail
Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish nuisance-alligator catcher Easton DeHart took a photo of an alligator that he says he found last week near a Bayou Blue home without a tail (see URL below).
"It just tore me up," said DeHart, who is certain
someone deliberately lopped off the alligator’s tail, likely last year,
based on how the wound was healed over. "It was cut off, its tail, all
the way to his rectum, right behind his back legs. Evidently somebody
knocked it out, hit it with a paddle or something and cut the tail off,
probably just for the meat. I never in my life seen nothing like this
before."
DeHart has since released the alligator in a
nonpopulated area, as he does with most that he catches on nuisance
calls.
The potential that being short a tail might make the
gator less of a prize for hunters, DeHart surmised, should be of little
comfort to the critter. "I don’t think I would want to live
without my tail if I was an alligator," he said. "I would rather be
taken out."
http://www.wwltv.com/local/lafourche/stories/wwl062807jbgator.230e3bd6.html 28 June 07 Large alligator Spotted in Texas lake
Texan Jagger Weatherford thought at first that the
"thing in the water" this week was one of the beavers that occasionally
visit the shoreline behind his house in Rockwall, but it turned out to
be a 10 foot/3 metre alligator apparently flooded from nearby Lavon
lake.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden stated that
once the lake's level recedes and the creeks and rivers calm down, any
alligators in the lakes should go back where they're most comfortable:
uninhabited areas near slow-moving water with abundant fish to eat. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnew
s/stories/062907dnmetrocgator.2cd0af5.html
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