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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 7 October 07
23 September 07 Year in review
Check out Wes' commentary on the croc news of the last year. - I.D.
11 October 07 Goa's 'warriors' fight survival battle
Some of India’s marsh crocodiles, who once "fought wars" to save Goa from being captured by Portuguese rulers are now facing extinction due to increased poaching.
Cumbharjua-Banastarim canal, part of Mhadei river in north Goa near here, has been the habitat of these crocodiles, which led a 'naval warfare' during famous Banastarim battle in 1511.
Crocodiles played major role in the battle. The soldiers who used to walk on a temporary wooden bridge which connected them to the fort were thrown in the water so that they are attacked by these reptiles. This warfare technique was unique to Adil Shah.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Goas_warriors_fight_survival_battle/articleshow/2448749.cms 11 October 07 Mozambique to export over 100,000 crocodiles
Mozambique will export more than 100,000 crocodiles to neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe over the next four months.
In addition to expected economic gains, Mozambican authorities say exporting the crocodiles will make it possible to bring soaring numbers of the reptiles, which constitute a threat to the population in the valley of River Zambezi, under control.
Mozambican
authorities last month authorised soldiers to intervene to protect
anybody threatened by wild animals, including elephants and crocodiles.
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=071011091133.gizrts7h.php
10 October 07 Ist das Oberpfälzer Krokodil ein klarer Fall von Loch-Ness-Phänomen?
In Bavaria, Germany, a local fisherman reported the presence of a crocodile in his favourite fishing hole. Other locals however, belief that the culprit may be a beaver. Regardless, 40 emergency services personnel combed the shoreline of the area just in case … and without result.
Oh yes,
crocodiles are not native to Bavarian mountain lakes …. I think.
(See, I’m learning - Wes) http://www.mittelbayerische.de/top_themen/artikel/ist_das_oberpfaelzer_
krokodil_/145007/ist_das_oberpfaelzer_krokodil_.html
http://www.mittelbayerische.de/index.cfm?pid=1354&pk=144568 The
English-language version of the report below.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,510557,00.html
09 October 07 Autopsy shows alligator attack Killed Georgia woman
An alligator attack in Georgia, USA killed an elderly woman whose mauled body was found in a pond, according to an autopsy performed Tuesday.
A biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said it was the first time an alligator killed a person in Georgia since 1980. http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/100907/D8S5VQ683.shtml
http://www.savannahnow.com/node/372267
http://wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7190935
08 October 07 Alligator found in Ohio house fire
Firefighters got quite a surprise while battling a Parkersburg, Ohio house fire: there was a three-foot/metre-long alligator on the third floor that escaped from a hole and landed on the second floor ledge, from there it fell to the ground.
They say
it survived the blaze because of a pool of water on the third floor that
kept it cool. The family has recovered their pet http://www.wtap.com/news/headlines/10331207.html 08 October 07 Crocodile kills 2 Ugandan fishermen
Two
Ugandan fishermen were killed by a crocodile that attacked them as they
were casting their nets on Lake Victoria. The deaths brought
to eight the people killed by crocodiles in the last two months.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/590890 07 October 07 Biologists exploring how two species coexist
Texas wildlife biologists are on the hunt for the stomach contents of American alligators … hoping to find out if the reptiles are responsible for the dramatic decline in populations of the mottled duck. After the alligators are caught, biologists carefully bag them on board and head back to land to find out what they're eating. To do this, they must flush the gators' stomachs.
"He's filling the stomach up with water. ... Once it gets full Matt will push on both sides and forward and it should expel what's in the stomach," biologist Marc Ealy said.
"So far
preliminary it looks like the alligators are not the culprit that we
first thought. There's more going on out there in the marsh than we know
about," fellow biologist Amos Cooper said. Video link
at URL.
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=193243&SecID=2 07 October 07 ‘Brazen’ gator meets his match
An Arkansas gator-hunting story …
“No matter how
it is accomplished, hunting an apex predator capable of maiming and
killing humans is an ‘extreme’ sport,’” said one hunter. “I have a whole
new respect for the boys in Florida, Alabama, Texas and Louisiana who
have been doing it for years.”
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/203671/ 06 October 07 Stunning alligator snap wins award
Gemma Keys' stunning snap of an alligator's eye has been chosen from among thousands to be shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards.
“I really,
really liked the photo because it just captures the gleam in his eye and
his beautiful colouration and at first glance it looks as though it's a
landscape.”
Photo at URL below 05 October 07 Editorial: Hunting alligators
We hope a proposal to allow alligator hunting in South Carolina doesn't result in the wholesale slaughter of the reptile.
We think limited hunting is reasonable, especially when problem gators are involved. People should be permitted to defend themselves, their families and their pets.
But as we encroach on alligator habitat, encounters naturally will increase. And caution and common sense can reduce the danger considerably.
But hunting will not be a panacea. If people plan to live near the water in the deep South, they need to learn how to coexist with alligators.
And the best
way to do that is to leave them alone.
http://www.heraldonline.com/opinions/story/136250.html
08 October 07 State gov't issues grant For conservation of 'ghariyals'
In the Indian city of Lucknow, the state government has issued a grant of Rs 15.77 lakh to the Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre (KGRC) for the conservation project of “critically endangered” ghariyals.
The mature ghariyal population in India stands at less than 200. The estimated population of ghariyal is 1,976.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife) D N S Suman said “It is a matter of concern that the IUCN has categorised the ghariyal as critically endangered species in the recent list, which was in the endangered category till now. We have been devising the plan for their conservation. Plan is being worked out where the state Forest department and the Madras Crocodile Bank will work together for the protection of the rare indigenous reptile.”
Deputy Forest Conservator Renu Singh said that the KGRC has released around 3,782 ghariyals in different rivers in the country. It has also gifted 288 ghariyals to various countries.
Sources said
the project started suffering when the Centre stopped the financial
assistance in 1992-93 and the state government pulled its hands in
1998-99.
09 October 07 Gharial sighting delights experts - River croc makes a comeback
The long-nosed Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is reportedly making a comeback within the Indian rivers of Assam.
Two sightings were reported on two different occasions earlier this year. But experts had their first brush with a gharial just a few days ago, on the Brahmaputra at Chapor near Dhubri.
The last authentic record of a gharial find in the Brahmaputra river system was in 1999, when one of these reptiles was accidentally caught in a fisherman’s net near Guwahati.
Wildlife enthusiast Firoz Ahmed reported “One of our volunteers informed us about the gharial. We rushed to the location and could see some 300 people on the spot. We ran a 1,000-metre race through paddy fields and marshes before we could see the surfacing gharial. However, as soon as the reptile surfaced, there was a roar from the hundreds of people who had gathered on the banks of the river.”
Before that,
reports of gharial sightings were received from the Jinjiram river
valley in Goalpara district in the first week of July 2007. However,
these could not be authenticated.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071009/asp/northeast/story_8410434.asp 04 October 07 Descubren un cocodrilo A orillas del Río El Duero
Mexican citizens of Briseñas have reported a 4 metre/16-foot crocodilian in the waters of near-by Río El Duero, an area not known to previously harbour the critters.
Provincial
officials have been unable to locate the animal.
http://www.cambiodemichoacan.com.mx/vernota.php?id=69756 04 October 07 Muerde cocodrilo a Un campesino en Tapachula
In the Tapachula area of Mexico, a farmer was severely bitten on the hand by a metre-/3 foot-long crocodilian after (s)he inadvertently grabbed it’s tail … thinking it was a piece of firewood.
The farmer was
treated in hospital and the crocodilian escaped.
http://www.tabascohoy.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=142323 04 October 07 Politie zoekt krokodil in vijvers van Elsene
This is a
longer Belgian version of the previously reported 03 October 07
Politie zoekt
krokodil in Brusselse vijver
Regardless of whether the critter concerned was a crocodilian, this is
very much another ‘abandoned animal’ event.
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=KB1I6R5J 03 October 07 Buscan a un yacaré perdido cerca Del centro de Paraná
In Argentina, a
pig-chomping, metre/3-foot-long croc is suspected to be lurking in a
downtown Parana stream.
http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&id=181691
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