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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 15 July 07
17 July 07 Bullet-ridden monster croc euthanized
The animal, an Indopacific Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) - nicknamed Elizabeth by locals - had to be put down by police after a tour guide spotted him labouring on the banks of the Daly River of Northern Territory, Australia, with gunshot wounds to the head. The huge reptile is reportedly 5.5 meters/ 18 feet in length.
Prestige Inland and Coastal owner Jeff Wenban, 31, was sightseeing with his family from interstate on Friday morning when he came across his "old mate" about 35km west of the Woolianna boat ramp on the Daly.
Mr. Wenban believes he had been shot in the head several times with a high-powered rifle. http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2007/07/15/1522_ntnews.html
18 July 07 'No explosion in QLD crocodile numbers'
In Australia, Queensland Government Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr today said the State Government study proved Queensland was not "in the grip of a crocodile explosion'', and used the findings to argue against the reintroduction of crocodile culling.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) conducted a three-week survey of 47 rivers, covering 767km of Queensland's east coast from the Endeavour River in the north to the Burnett River in the south and recorded a total of 289 crocodiles, including 112 hatchlings.
"What the QPWS found is overall there is no evidence of an increase in crocodile numbers in the region in the recent years,'' Ms Nelson-Carr said.
"In addition,
there's also no evidence to suggest the crocodile range has actually
expanded, with none of them being found south of the Fitzroy River.''
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22094352-29277,00.html 18 July 07 Alligator is caught napping In Douglass Township
In rural
Pennsylvania, USA, a 4-foot/1.2 metre-long alligator was basking in the
sun along a Douglass Township road Tuesday morning when a passer-by
reported it to authorities who then pole-netted it. They’re looking
for a home for the temporary captive.
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=50783 18 July 07 Crikey! Gators taken From Spokane man's home
In Spokane, Washington, USA, Blaine Brown’s baby American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) apparently escaped and went on a walkabout to a neighbor's house over the weekend before ending up in the hands of city authorities.
Now Brown, who says he got two alligators from a friend in Florida a month ago, wants his gator back.
“It is illegal to have those animals in the city regardless of size it's banned,” Spokanimal executive director Gail Mackie said. “The city ordinance bans any member of the crocodilia family.”
Mackie says
Brown could be cited but his case is still under investigation. As for
what could become of the alligators, she is talking with the Salem,
Oregon Humane Society and Seattle Animal Control to try and find a safe
home for the alligators.
http://www.kxly.com/news/?sect_rank=2§ion_id=560&story_id=12923
18 July 07 Taipei vet recalls crocodile attack
From Australia we get a press interview of the recovering 38-year-old Taiwanese vet Chang Po-Yu who had previously lost his arm in a crocodile related incident. (previously posted as 11-13 April 07 Vet's forearm bitten off By Taiwan zoo crocodile)
"I lay there in
a daze watching my limb in the crocodile's mouth." They initially shot two tranquilliser darts into the croc's neck, but that had no effect.
In the end, a policeman shot it twice in the head.
"The bullets just bounced off but the shock of the bangs must have done the trick," Mr Chang said.
Chu-Chu the croc survived the shooting and is now the star of the zoo, attracting thousands of visitors every day.
Doctors have
told Mr Chang he should be able to go back to the zoo to work in six
months. "The surgeon says I won't be able to play the piano again but I
should be able to do most things."
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22090495-2,00.html 17 July 07 Crocodile farms opened in Russia
Two
crocodile “farms” have opened in the Krasnodar Region of Russia, however
the owners claim that “farms” were created not for business purposes
only – they are also an asylum for reptiles left by beach photographers
or exotic animal lovers. The two sites have six crocs and one
alligator between them.
http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/4357/
16 July 07 Australia threatens to relocate Indonesian Croc skin processing industry to China
Australia has threatened to relocate its crocodile skin processing industry in Indonesia to China in connection with the imposition of double taxation on the product.
Marine Resources and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said here on Monday the Australia-Indonesia joint venture had already been operating for 15 years and therefore needed attention with regard to the taxation policy.
16 July 07 В селе Ксаверовка живет крокодил - Анастасии Петренко его подарил сын
Things are not well in the placid Ukrainian village of Ksaverovka. Natives there fear to bathe in the local pond and fear for their chickens, puppies, cats, 80-year-old grandmothers and 10-year old daughters; and all because ‘Clip’ the crocodile is on the loose … all 80 cm/2.5 feet of him! (Photo at URL following.)
Apparently,
‘Clip’ escaped from his 78-year old owner – she’s been searching for him
in local gardens since his 23 June departure!
http://www.gpu.ua/index.php?&id=171217&lang=ru
17 July 07 Second gator captured In California's Delta
A 3-foot/metre-long alligator was acclimating itself to its new home in an exotic animal education facility in Petaluma Tuesday after it became the second gator captured in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in less than a month.
A Department of Fish and Game warden picked the young reptile up early Monday afternoon and took it to Classroom Safari, a program that teaches kids about animals and the environment. The alligator was healthy and alert when it was captured, but it appeared to have an old injury to its upper jaw.
Usual story that we’ve seen posted
here too many times before: authorities believe that the creature was
most likely an illegal pet that escaped or became too big to keep and
was released into the waterway.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/13695628/detail.html 14 July 07 По улицам Якутска бродит 3-летний крокодил
How many times does this happen? You wander to a neighbours for … umm, let’s say ‘tea’, and your 3-year old, half-metre/two foot croc gets loose and wanders down the street? Add to this the fact that you’re looking for your critter in the streets of Yakutsk … Russia … and you can begin to understand why the locals are concerned.
The owner however, is more worried about his crocodilian charge being mauled by a local dog pack.
The search
continues.
http://www.annews.ru/news/detail.php?ID=110554
17 July 07 Rare crocodile lays eggs at UK park
Morticia, an endangered Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii)laid 39 eggs at the UK’s Cotswold Wildlife Park to the delight of her keepers. Staff at the Burford park later removed the eggs from the nest and transferred them to an incubator in front of a crowd of fascinated visitors.
Iri Gill, who looks after the park's crocodiles said: "Ours are the only Morelet's crocodiles in the UK and, as far as we're aware, the only ones producing eggs in Europe."
"This year we
have brought in a lot of measures that should make the (breeding)
difference. Generally, the captive environment makes it harder to get
the balance of temperatures that the crocodiles need, so new features
such as ultra violet lights will help."
http://www.witneygazette.net/display.var.1549575.0.rare_crocodile_lays_eggs.php
14 July 07 Editorial: Florida city should snap up Chance for role in gator control
An item exploring the implications of Florida’s new ‘targeted-harvest program’. The program allowed the cities to strike an agreement with the state to remove some large gators in case of ‘incidents.’
However, the authors point out that alligators are needed as predators to naturally control the population of snakes, rodents and raccoons and that the public “want to observe alligators … from their riverfront homes and parks”.
An application for removal requires the city to strictly define which large alligators may be removed and identify "hot spots" where alligators may come in direct confrontation with humans - such as a park or a boat ramp. Alligators less than 4-feet/1.2 meters long are rarely a danger. The state will not approve applications that call for a massive eradication program or for placing miles of riverfront off limits to gators.
Cities should
be eager to play a larger role in keeping the peace between all of its
residents - human and reptilian.
http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/editorials/MGBVM7U634F.html
16 July 07 Bound crocodile found on Thong Lor
In
Thailand, shoppers on Bangkok's Thong Lor were shocked to see a 1.2
metre/4 foot crocodile crouching on a footpath on Saturday morning.
It is thought that the mouth and foot-bound crocodile had fallen off the
back of a while being transported from a nearby crocodile farm.
Zoo experts were called in to collect the wandering (but
still bound?) creature.
http://www.bangkokrecorder.com/news/news/crocodile-on-thong-lor-1110.html
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/82728.html 16 July 07 Clock ticking on rescue of suspected caiman in pond
An elusive, 5 foot/1.5 metre gator-like creature that forced the closure of a Loveland, Colorado pond last week will need to be rescued before the water gets too chilly, a reptile expert says.
Jay Young, with Colorado Gators, said that unlike alligators, a caiman would not survive in cold water. "It can die in water that's below 60 degrees [Fahrenheit/ 15.6 degree Celsius]," he said. "The water is going to get below 60 degrees in late September or late October in Colorado."
"They're not aggressive," he said. "It would not look at a person, or even a toddler, as food. It would likely survive on fish and small birds."
But it could maim someone trying to grab it, Young added. "They are very dangerous and run much faster than alligators. We have several 6-foot caimans. We don't mess with them, unless we have to, or you could end up losing several fingers."
It is not the first time a caiman or alligator has
been released in a Colorado pond. In one case, in Denver, the creature
was never found even after Washington Park's lake was drained.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5630928,00.html http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news/article/0,1299,DRMN_3_5629711,00.html
16 July 07 Kariba ha criado más de 1.700 cocodrilos Del
Nilo en dos invernaderos de Cádiz
A story
on the Kariba crocodile conservatory, a European site in which 1,700
Nile Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)
have been raised.
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/07/15/ciencia/1184523576.html 15 July 07 Spring Alligator Season Wraps Up
About 141 alligators were ‘taken’ during Texas' first three-month, spring alligator season.
Jim Sutherlin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's alligator program leader stated a goal of the season was to remove alligators that have become nuisance animals because of development into their habitat or their movement into more urban areas.
The
biologist backs the season saying that while providing hunter
opportunity, it does not threaten the resource in the state. "We
have opportunity to take advantage of a resource that is untapped. It is
a dynamic renewable resource that hasn't been taken advantage of."
http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070715/SPORTS02/707140335/0/SPORTS02 14 July 07 Police hunt croc killer
Australia’s Northern Territory Police are searching for the killer of a
5.5-metre/18 foot crocodile, found shot in the Daly River region.
It is believed the crocodile was responsible for damaging a number of
boats in the area a month ago.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978582.htm?site=idx-nt 13 July 07 Crocodile park Catapults sanctuary to fame India’s Neyyar wildlife sanctuary has drawn international attention with the opening of a Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre in memory of Australian crocodile hunter and environmentalist Steve Irwin.
But the
centre was not immediately thrown open to visitors, as the work had to
be completed and more "muggers" (Crocodylus
palustris) were to
be shifted to the centre.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/13/stories/2007071360160600.htm 09 July 07 Feeding alligators dangerous
The search for a 7 foot/2.1 metre alligator in Inverness, Florida with an arrow in its snout has city and conservation officials urging people to leave the reptiles alone.
Inverness Parks and Recreation Director Pati Smith said people are apparently feeding gators while standing on the pier. There’s concern that could lead to an attack.
According to information from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, there have been 275 unprovoked alligator attacks on humans since 1948, with at least 17 deaths.
Spokeswoman Karen Parker said ‘normally, alligators are just as scared of people as people are of them. However, when people feed them, alligators lose their fear of people and get more aggressive’. “They could look at people as “a ham sandwich,” she said, if people are equated with food.
Because alligators are considered a “species of special concern,” Parker said it’s a second-degree misdemeanor to feed, harass or capture alligators, which is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Parker, “If we
keep messing with the gators, we’re going to end up messing with
ourselves.” http://www.chronicleonline.com/articles/2007/07/09/news/news50.txt
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