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CROCODOPOLIS world of crocodilians TM SCIENCE · CULTURE · INDUSTRY · NEWS · COMMUNICATION · CONSERVATION
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FEATURES profiles
February 8, 2007
Ralf Sommerlad,
Der Krokodilfachmann (continued)
MAKE
PEOPLE INTERESTED.
“Scientifically,
nearly everything [has] changed. The only literature I had as a teenager
were the books of Grzimek, [Wilfred T.] Neill, Mertens and [Heinz F.]
Wermuth, and some papers. It was very exciting to hear later about Harry
Messel’s research in Australia; Kent Vliet’ results in working on
the behavior of alligators; [Dietrich] Jelden’s work in the crocs of New Guinea;
Grahame Webb; Charlie Manolis; and [Wolf] Waitkuwait’s research in
West Africa, and much, much more – stuff we did not know about before
and contributed so much to our knowledge in crocodilians. Some of the
literature was hard to get in Germany – even the zoos did not have it.
There was no Internet and I often needed months or years to get one
single book or paper.” Sommerlad mentioned another person influential in his life, Uthen Youngprapakorn, owner of Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm & Zoo, Utairatch Crocodile Farm and Crocodile Adventure in Pattaya, all in Thailand. "Uthen is not only the
world’s most successful breeder of Tomistoma; he is carrying a
treasure of knowledge, which he’s sharing with me and everyone who is
really interested. We became close friends over the years and his and
his family’s passion, beside of the pure business, is simply amazing.
“I
am proud of having been able to make a lot of friends in the crocodilian
community and sciences and every one of them contributed a lot to my own
knowledge and also my personality.” As for public perception, crocs have been long taken for savage dragons, but this paradigm has shifted, Sommerlad expounded, because the populace has been influenced by the likes of recognized personalities, particularly those of the populist medium of television.
“During
the last 10 to 15 years, crocs came more and more to the media. The TV
shows of Malcolm Douglas, shown again and again in Germany, later Rob
Bredl, Steve Irwin and recently Brady Barr, made crocs very popular in
Europe and people do not see crocs only as man-eating monsters today,
but also amazing animals with a very complex behavior. Unfortunately,
the conservation aspects are still not in the focus of interest…also,
not the aspects of sustainable use as a tool for conservation.”
This
growing popularity has inspired many an
experienced herper or even a young amateur enthusiast to add crocodilians to their private collections.
Sommerlad is impressed by the trend, but admonishes that keepers
“should
learn that these crocodiles they are keeping are very valuable animals
which deserve a lot of respect. And beside of keeping crocodilians,
there is a lot every single keeper can do in crocodile conservation, not
only by donating money, but bringing the problem of the endangered
crocodilians to the public, and tell the people how important
crocodilians are for their biodiversity; and make people interested in
crocodilians, too.” And for the general public, plain
language: “Crocodilians are not monsters. Crocodilians are not animals
to play with like some TV guys do. Crocodilians deserve respect. You
don’t need to be afraid of them, but you can live with them.” Citing two remarkable models of
conservation success, Sommerlad counters the sensational,
fear-based turn on crocodilians that still seems to flourish in popular
culture; he offers conservation success stories as cases in point that
Homo
sapien and the great reptile can live together in relative peace:
“We have two wonderful examples: One is in Florida, and one is in
Australia,” he stated, referring to the alligator of the southeastern
USA and the Indopacific (Saltwater) Crocodile. “ And when I hear about some fatal
accidents in Florida, I need to say – and every single one is very
sad, without any question – we have probably much more ‘fatals’ a
year because of lightning or of house dogs or of horses or of hornets
and wasps and bees. So it’s not a reason to stay away from Florida
because there’s an alligator there.” As for Ralf Sommerlad's impact on the
public and in the professional field, colleagues agree that
“I think the reason he has been so
successful in what he has done is that he has helped to create
crocodilian ‘communities’,” said Shwedick, referring to his friend
and colleague’s social-conservation efforts worldwide. “He has
reminded me at least that it’s important to stay connected. If we
don’t walk down the path together, we won’t get very far. I think
Ralf has been very successful in keeping us walking down the path
together.”
Said
Webb, “Ralf is just a ‘great guy.’ He loves his reptiles,
especially crocs, and weaves his life around them...Ralf is a very skilled but humble person. Always as ready to teach
something he has learned, or to learn something that others may be able
to teach him. This is why he gets on well with everyone, and in all
honesty, I’ve never heard a bad word spoken about him.” Anyone conversing with Sommerlad will
notice his eagerness. When he speaks about crocs, he is usually
leaning forward, trying to ensure that his listener does not miss a
word. He is clearly excited about the acceleration of
crocodilian interest spurred by the advances in technology, such as
television, air travel, and especially the Internet; On the other hand,
there is trepidation that while the speed increases, the
momentum of
the conservation movement may not be enough.
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Croc leap: Sommerlad, with Youngprapakorn (R) in Pattaya, Thailand. (Photo: Courtesy of R. Sommerlad.)
The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). (Photo: I. Dupont)
An Indopacific Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) from New Guinea. (Photo: F. Wayne King/Crocodile Specialist Group.) |
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