30 November 07 

Croc-basher's penalty not enough?

 

An angry RSPCA has slammed the penalty given to a man who yesterday admitted bashing to death a 1.8m croc in an incident that created national headlines in Australia.

 

Westcourt man Owen Pacellie Dorante, 23, was ordered to do 180 hours of community service and pay $500 after pleading guilty in Cairns Magistrates' Court to repeatedly bashing the croc over the head with rocks.

 

Two boys also involved in the killing have been ordered to appear at a youth justice conference.

http://www.cairnspost.com.au/article/2007/11/30/4700_news.html

 

30 November 07 

Snakes and crocs roam PNG flood areas

 

A man was attacked by a crocodile in Papaua New Guinea and evacuated by chopper from Bagou near Cape Killerton to Popondetta hospital yesterday In another incident, another  PNG man investigating a night-time noise disturbance in his village saw a crocodile "propping up on its tail and back hinds".  When the villager yelled for help, some villagers rushed to the scene but they could not kill the croc with spears and axes because the monster opened its jaws and 'threatened to attack them'. 

 

Police were called to shoot the reptilian intruder, after which the villagers finished off the wounded animal with the fore-mentioned spears and axes.

These incidents have resulted in government warnings that venomous snakes and "hundreds of man eating crocodiles" are now on the loose.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/113007/Nation%2026.htm

 

28 November 07 

Coccodrillo di pelouche

Blocca il volo Ryanair

 

A somewhat humorous snapshot in time of popular 'croc' culture: An event in Rome where a passenger with a toy crocodile was involved in a security incident. Apparently the passenger thought that the large 'plushy' should have had a seat of its' own, and not have to suffer the indignity of travelling in the carry-on luggage closet!  After a two-hour flight delay, both passenger and stuffy-croc left the plane.

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php?id=13981&sez=HOME_INITALIA

28 November 07 

«Coccodrillo» a bordo, l'aereo non decolla http://www.corriere.it/cronache/07_novembre_28/coccodrillo_peluche_aereo_bloccato_3383e31c-9d91-11dc-bac3-0003ba99c53b.shtml

28 November 07 

Uren vertraging om pluchen krokodil

http://www.ad.nl/fun/bizar/article1858117.ece#reactie

Pluchen krokodil zorgt voor vertraging bij Ryanair

http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF28112007_039

 

26 November 07 

Native wildlife in Colonial Georgia

 

Did you ever wonder how strange it must have been for the people coming over to America from the foreign countries to see the animals on our continent for the first time?

 

The explorer Francis Moore penned his thoughts in a journal in the spring of 1736. He arrived on St. Simons Island in 1735 and was one of the settlers of the town of Frederica. 

Journal entry:  Of reptiles, the crocodile [obviously referring to the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis], which seems to be the chief, abounds in all the rivers of Georgia.

 

A number of vulgar errors are reported on them; one is, that their scales are musket proof, whereas, I have seen them frequently killed with small shot...

 

The watermen often knock them on the head with their oars as they sleep upon the banks. They are very sluggish and timorous...

 

They are terrible to look at stretching open a  horrible large mouth big enough to swallow a man, with rows of dreadful large sharp teeth. Their feet are like dragons, armed with great claws, and a long tail which they throw about with great strength and which seems their best weapon, for their claws are feebly set on and the stiffness of their necks hinders them from turning nimbly to bite.

http://www.coastalcourier.com/news/article/4330/

 

28 November 07 

Elusive crocodiles and evasive owners

 

In Vietnam, there is a growing debate on the responsibility (and location) of crocodile farm owners after seasonal flooding resulting in 'thousands' of the animals escaping into rural areas.

 

For example, the Khanh Viet Company (Khatoco) has said that of the 5,000 crocodiles it had before the floods, 216 have been found and 1,440 moved to a safer area. But it claims not to know how many are still in the farm.

 

Le Tien Anh, its deputy director, said the fact that Siamese crocodiles - the species bred on the farm - tended to stay close to the farm and that no other large crocodiles had been spotted in the last few days meant that only young ones had escaped.

 

A few months ago the media reported some crocodile farm workers as admitting that they often forgot to lock the gates behind them after feeding crocodiles. The forest protection agency in charge of monitoring the crocodiles should conduct random checks more frequently and conduct training programmes to make farm owners aware of their responsibility when a crocodile escapes.

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01TAL281107

 

28 November 07

Plenty of bite in these little snappers

 

The latest headliners at Darwin's Crocodylus Park's newest attraction arenot salties or freshies - but three, 1m/3 ft-long American alligators.

Park owner Grahame Webb said: "Everyone knows about alligators but not everyone has seen them before."

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2007/11/28/2710_ntnews.html

 

26 November 07 

Gator meat deemed 'really healthy food'

 

[Supporting video at URL below] A segment on the Today show highlighted the health benefits of alligator meat, saying it's better for you than chicken.

 

Edwin Froehlich Jr. said the little fat and high protein makes gator meat "really healthy food."  Gator has all the protein of beef and chicken, and more protein than fish.

 

Froehlich sells 35,000 to 40,000 pounds of meat a year.

http://www.wesh.com/health/14697694/detail.html

 

25 November 07 

Did you know...

 

... Certain alligators can survive the winter by freezing their heads in ice, leaving their nose out to breath for months on end?

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C11%5C26%5Cstory_26-11-2007_pg9_11

 

24 November 07 

Alligator sighting near The Riverwalk

 

A 10 ft/3m alligator has been found in a pond, near Georgia's Chattahoochee Riverwalk.

 

Alligators living in the area are rare, according to Daniel Walker, the wildlife coordinator at Oxbow Meadows. He thinks they are migrating from Eufaula, for reasons he's not sure of just yet. "Maybe food. Maybe too populated down there in Eufaula, less competition when you move up river," he said.

 

For the Riverwalk enthusiasts, Walker says it's possible a gator could make its way to the path, but, there's no need for alarm. "I think you can outrun an alligator. They're not that fast on land."

http://www.wrbl.com/index.php/news/article/alligator-sighting-near-the-riverwalk/3823/

 

23 November 07

Week-long ban in Bhitarkanika

During crocodile census

 

KENDRAPARA: The forest officials in Bhitarkanika National Park have imposed a week-long ban on entry of tourists from January 7 during the census of salt water crocodiles in the rivers and creeks within the park.

Crocodile researcher Sudhakar Kar of State Forest and Wildlife Department, forest guards and locals will participate in the annual census, said DFO Ajay Kumar Jena. According to the forest officials, the ban has been imposed to ensure that the tranquil habitat of the crocodiles is not disturbed.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.aspID=IEQ20071122230558&Page=Q&Headline=Week-long+ban+in+Bhitarkanika&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0

 

25 November 07 

Bonding with beasts

 

Spending some time at the Madras Crocodile Bank in India can change one's inherited, stereotyped perceptions of crocs.

 

The title explains this item better than anything this Editor could come up with!

 

"I seem to have developed a permanent case of goose bumps and it's not because of the nippy breeze. A sight like that is moving, uplifting - we all feel we've witnessed something magical, miraculous."

 

In a large pit that he has all to himself lurks Jaws III - the 600-kg, 17-feet-long saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) that's supposed to be the largest croc in captivity in Asia.

 

Other thrills include the spectacle of venom being extracted from Russell's and Saw-scaled vipers, cobra, krait and other such friendly creatures. The extraction is done by Irula tribesmen, traditionally snake-catchers, whose expertise in this field thus goes back a long way.

 

There's a well-stocked library full of books and journals on herpetology.

 

Wonderfully located by the beach on the East Coast Road (ECR), the MCB was set up by the "snakeman", Rom Whitaker, in 1976 as a croc farm or breeding centre and proved a resounding success.  While it still continues to breed the Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) with great success, the MCB has now shifted its breeding focus to turtles.

 

Space is getting to be a problem at the MCB as the crocs grow bigger. Plans are afoot to move some of the creatures elsewhere, and also make the place slicker. For me, a large part of the Croc Bank's appeal lies in its old-fashionedness - the somewhat primitive nature of the displays, the pleasure of walking about on mud tracks under shady trees, the lack of swanky air-conditioned eating joints belting out loud music

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/11/25/stories/2007112550240700.htm

 

25 November 07 

Gambia crocodile pool decaying

 

Gambia's Crocodile Pool at Kartong is decaying, as no one has thought of its development as a tourists attraction.

 

The Crocodile Pool at Kartong, one of the oldest Pools in the impoverished West African Country, commonly known as "Folonko Pools" has seen decay and the crocodiles let to suffer for long.  Their living conditions is deplorable and they feed on little frogs.

 

Their dwelling place is deplorable and the water they lived in dries up before the rains are finished.  The area is not properly cemented.  The water they are exposed to also appeared very dirty and could be poisonous for creatures that dwelled there.

 

Local Villagers believe that if a barren woman drinks the water from the Folonko she is sure to be pregnant in time.  But the condition of the water there gives no one the courage to drink it as medicine.

http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/newsid367/2524/Default.aspx

 

24 November 07 

Indian minister in youth

Wanted crocodile as a pet

 

You can nickname Indian Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the 'crocodile man', a la Steve Irwin from Down Under. 

As a child, he used to find crocodile babies while swimming with his friends in the local lake. Once, he even caught one and brought the wriggly reptile home.

Modi's mortified mother had to emotionally blackmail him to put the baby crocodile back into the lake. She told him just like he would be miserable if he were to be separated from his mother, the crocodile would be missing its mom too. "

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Young_Modi_wanted_

crocodile_as_a_pet/articleshow/2566261.cms

 

23 November 07 

Croc attack victim faces jaws of fear

 

A Policeman who escaped death in a 4 m/12 ft crocodile attack has overcome his fear by getting into the water with a Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in Darwin.

 

On a trip to Darwin, Sgt Tanswell was joined in a swimming pool by Territory zoologist Adam Britton, Canadian television personality Dave Salmoni -and a 2m/6 ft saltie. Dr Britton said the aim was to change Sgt Tanswell's perception of the animal.

 

Sgt Tanswell said he felt hatred towards the animal at first. "But I realise that the crocodile didn't bite out of malice. I can begin to respect them a little more."

 

The event was filmed for Mr Salmoni's new show, After the Attack, which explores the reasons behind animal attacks.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2007/11/23/2666_ntnews.html

 

23 November 07 

Amazonia's giant jaws

 

A reporter's take on a "beautiful doco" about a black caiman. The documentary follows the trials and triumphs of a female caiman as she migrates to a permanent dry-season lake and lays her clutch of eggs.     

http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv-reviews/amazonias-giant-jaws/2007/11/23/1195753284530.html