Exotic Pet Alligator - Ownership considerations

Baby alligators have been popular as exotic pets. They can be bought in special pet stores and souvenir shops. Some states have made rules against taking care of alligators.

But if you are still keen on getting one as pet, read on the things below so you’ll know what to do or what to expect.

1. You need a special license to buy an alligator. In Florida for example, this is being practiced. There are laws regulating alligators that are taken as pets. People who wish to buy an alligator shouldn’t only be licensed. They should also know exactly what they are doing.

2. Taking an alligator from its natural habitat isn’t allowed in some States. Before you go to the wild and get an alligator, check the local laws of the state first. There are states that don’t allow it entirely. And some even control the feeding and harassing of alligators.

3. Alligators require a large habitat. An alligator can grow to as long as 12 feet, which is about average. Some species can even grow longer than that. That being the case, you have to make an alligator pen for them, maybe in your backyard, as big as thrice its size.

4. Alligators can be dangerous. Everybody knows this. So just because you wanted to have something exotic as a pet shouldn’t be the only reason why you get an alligator. You should be ready for all the things it can do to you and the rest of the people that it can come in contact with it accidentally or intentionally. If you don’t have any experience in controlling a full-grown brusque alligator think, twice in getting one for yourself.

5. Most alligators are used to a subtropical wetland climate. If you live in a rather cold state, please, don’t get an alligator. It isn’t used to that environment and it is going to be harmful to it and in certain instances, to its owner as well.

6. It isn’t advisable to keep a baby alligator with an intention of releasing it when it is grown up. Many alligator pet owners do this. But this is really not a good practice. It makes the alligator do one of two things - to be fiercer or to lose fear entirely.

The lesson? Don’t get an alligator and make it a pet unless you are ready for the responsibility that comes with it. Know what you have to know about alligators. And decide for yourself if you really want one.

Too many Gator-diles

Last night I had the enviable (or not) task of laying out and then packing all my new crocodylian loot.


I have been in Florida for 4 days as at last night and without a doubt need to buy another suitcase. And I am only buying small things at this stage. Scarey!

Australian boy wreaks zoo havoc while feeding croc - uk.news.yahoo.com

Oct 3 2008

The parents of a 7-year-old boy who broke into an Australian outback zoo and fed a string of small animals to its resident crocodile are likely to be sued after police said the boy was too young to be held responsible.

A turtle, four western blue tongue lizards, two bearded dragons, two thorny devil lizards and a 1.8 metre (5.9ft) adult female Spencer's goanna were fed or led into the jaws of a 3 metre, 200kg (440lb) saltwater crocodile named "Terry."

Security camera footage at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre showed the smiling youngster also bludgeoning to death a small blue tongue lizard and two more thorny devils during a half-hour of breakfast-time havoc last Wednesday.

"The fact a 7-year-old can wreak so much havoc in such a short time, it's unbelievable. In my day he'd get a big boot up the backside," centre director Rex Neindorf told Reuters by phone.

"Police found him, but in the Northern Territory here he can't be accountable if he's under 10 years of age."

Neindorf said many of the animals fed to the croc were rare or mature and would be difficult to replace.

The boy was unknown at the centre and had "clammed up" when questioned by police on what sparked the rampage, he said.

Neindorf said he was now looking at suing the parents of the pint-sized terror, who could easily have been taken by Terry himself as he fed the croc from a small landing at his enclosure.

"We'll be looking at suing the parents, who were supposedly in control of him at the time," he said.

The $150,000 Crocodile Coat - upscaleswagger.com

Hermès has created something truly extravagant. The French high fashion house has created a $150,000 peacoat made entirely of crocodile skin. The coat was designed by Hermès men’s designer Veronique Nichanian for their Fall/ Winter 2008-2009 collection. Not only is the item expensive, it has to be specially ordered with a waiting time for up to 3-4 months. The coat also comes in navy blue, black, and other colors.

Chomp and Clack Wooden Alligator Walker

A home really can't be a home without one of these.... http://www.kidazy.com/educational-toys/chomp-and-clack-wooden-alligator-walker/

Two killed by crocs as they fetch water - nation.co.ke

September 10 2008
Two women were killed and a herdsman seriously injured when they were attacked by crocodiles in separate incidents in Tana River District.

The women were attacked while fetching water from a crocodile-infested river. The herdsman was attacked while grazing cattle near a lake.

Remains of the women, residents of Mwanja and Ozi villages in Kipini Division, were by Wednesday yet to be recovered. Relatives were still searching for them.

Mr Dube Salim, a villager, told the Nation that in the first incident, several women had gone to the river. One of them, she said, went down with a bucket as others remained on the riverbank.

“The ones who had remained on the bank heard screams after their colleague was attacked and dragged down the river by the reptile,” Mr Salim said.

He added that the rest of the women fled.

When villagers rushed to the river, Mr Salim said, the crocodile had already disappeared with the victim.

In the second incident in Ozi Village, the woman was attacked when she and others went to fetch water.

She was attacked as she went up the bank after collecting water. The injured herdsman is admitted to Malindi District Hospital. He was attacked in Samicha area in Kipini. Sources said he was rescued by fellow herders who responded to his distress call.

Tana River police boss Iregi Ngatia said he had not yet received reports of the attacks.

A guy walks into a bar

A guy walks into a bar, carrying a crocodile and a chicken. He sets them down on the stool next to him, and says to the bartender

"I'll have a Scotch and Soda."

Then the crocodile says "And I'll have a Whiskey Sour."

The bartender gasps "That's incredible; I've never seen a crocodile that could talk!"

And the guy says "He can't; the chicken is a ventriloquist."

Guard crocs on duty - cairns.com.au

September 10 2008
GUARD crocodiles may be the answer for a reptile farm almost at snapping point after the repeated theft of valuable skins and skulls.

The move to put the "flat dogs" on patrol at night comes after a spate of crocodile skin and artefact burglaries from the Daintree to Gordonvale.

Cairns Crocodile Farm is considering the extreme measure after three recent break-ins where 1m long stuffed skull from a 6m croc, two expensive skins, about a dozen skulls, a stuffed 1.5m croc, leather handbags and computer equipment has been stolen in the past month.

The Gordonvale farm's human resources manager Megan Maujean said enough was enough.

"We are thinking about putting crocs overnight in the office to act as a deterrent," she said.

She said while it was difficult to put a price on the large skull, the skins were worth about $500 wholesale each.

She suspects the raids were well organised

"The place where they stole the skulls from, you would have to know where to go," she said.

The Gordonvale skull thefts are just the latest in a month of crocodile-related crimes.

Last week a 5m long skin that wrapped around a fibreglass croc body was stolen from the Solar Whisper kiosk near the Daintree ferry.

Sen-Constable Peter Hornsby of Mossman Police said in another incident on Sunday a $1500 crocodile skin with the full head attached was stolen from another tour ticket office on the Daintree River near Barretts Creek landing.

"Thieves are obviously targeting croc skins," he said.

"When these people are caught they could face jail, a criminal record and fines for
being in unlawful possession of a crocodile skin.

"They would not be the easiest thing to hide and are easily identified."

A Stihl leaf blower, two eskies, 40 litres of fuel and a wind chime were also stolen from the Barrett's Creek kiosk.

Thieves target croc skins - brisbanetimes.com.au

September 10 2008
The Cairns Crocodile Farm was robbed over two consecutive nights a fortnight ago.

Dozens of croc skins and skulls were stolen, including a 70cm skull and a 1.5m stuffed croc.

Police said there have been two other recent croc-related thefts in the Daintree area to the north of Cairns.

Crocodile skins, skulls and leather goods stolen in a spate of recent robberies in north Queensland could be headed for the black market.

On Sunday, a crocodile skin with the head attached was stolen from a tourist office at Barretts Creek and a week before that a five-metre skin wrapped around a fibreglass body was stolen from a kiosk near the Daintree River Ferry.

Cairns Crocodile Farm's logistics manager Bruce Clarke said the thieves might try to sell the skins and skull on the black market.

"It gives you the feeling that something organised is going on," Mr Clarke said.

"Crocodile skulls and skins are difficult things to legally move ... to sell you need the right paperwork so one can only expect that they'll end up on the black market."

The farm plans to upgrade its security.

Cape Coral police officers, school principal encounter alligator - news-press.com

Cape Coral police officers took on the role of alligator herders this morning.

Lee Bush, principal of Christa McAuliffe Charter Elementary School, said he was driving on Nicholas Parkway just south of Pine Island Road at 9:45 a.m. this morning when he saw a 10-foot alligator in the road.

“I saw two Cape Coral police officers herding the alligator with their patrol cars to the east side of the road,” Bush said.Evidently, the officers were trying to direct the alligator toward nearby canals off Nicholas Parkway, Bush said.

As he drove by, Bush said he joked and asked one of the officers, “why aren’t you wrestling it.”To which the officer replied,

“I don’t have my gloves on,” Bush said.

Monster croc show coming to Territory - ntnews.com.au

September 8 2008
THE skull of an extinct monster crocodile will be the centrepiece of a major exhibition in the new year.

But it is being kept under wraps and won't be unveiled until the opening of Supercrocodilians: Darwin's ultimate survival story in February.

The NT Museum will hold the exhibition to mark the bicentenary of evolutionist Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.
Museum terrestrial vertebrates curator Dr Paul Horner said the exhibition would feature crocodile skeletons from around the world - but the jewel in the crown would be the Sarcosuchus from the Sahara.

"It's pretty impressive," he said. "It's an interesting animal - quite a narrow snouted croc.

"And it's huge. A human skull can just about fit in a nostril.

"The supercroc is the biggest crocodile known to have ever existed and the replica skull will no doubt prove to be a popular feature of the exhibition."

Mr Horner said crocodiles had not evolved much.

"That's because they are very good at what they do," he said.

"Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than other reptiles. "They have more in common with dinosaurs."

Mr Horner said he expected the exhibition to be popular.

"I think people love to see crocs," he said.

The exhibition will include skeletons and casts of freshwater crocodiles, alligators, African dwarf crocodiles, the long-snouted gavial from India, the South American black caiman and a genetic family tree.

Supercrocodilians: Darwin's ultimate survival story will be at the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT from February 14, until November.

The wish

A man was fishing and he caught a crocodile. The crocodile told him, "Please let me go. I'll grant you any wish you desire."

The man said, "Okay. I wish my balls could touch the ground."

So the crocodile bit his legs off.

Say cheese! The shocking moment a croc took a snap at a posing fisherman -

March 5 2008
Teeth flashing and jaws wide open, a 12ft crocodile lunges at fisherman Novon Mashiah and comes crashing down on his boat, inches from its intended prey.


Mr Mashiah - who moments before had been posing for a photograph with the reptile as it approached - decides it was not the brightest of ideas and hits the outboard engine to escape.

The crocodile had swum towards the boat hoping to be fed fish.

"I was shocked, the animal clearly wanted to kill me," said 27-year-old Mr Mashiah."One minute I was leaning over the boat teasing it for a picture. The next minute it burst out of the water with incredible speed.

"I jumped back and the croc landed on the boat and then slapped into the water. I was shaking."Mr Mashiah's friend Doron Aviguy, 22, took the photograph from a bigger boat nearby.

The two Israelis are working as fishermen on the South Alligator River in the Northern Territory of Australia.Mr Mashiah said: "They come near the boat all the time, probably because we are fishing.

I was laughing, but it wasn't funny in the end. I didn't realise that crocs were so aggressive.

"While Mr Mashiah escaped without injury in the attack, he has received a savaging from people who read his story in their local paper.

"What the bloody hell did you expect, then?" asked one writer. "That the croc would jump up, put his arm around your neck and smile for the camera? What a fool you are."

"What an idiot," said another blogger, pointing out that crocs eat things - "especially stupid people who get too close for a happy snap for the holiday album. Play with fire - you will get burnt.

"A writer called Darren commented: "What a dimwit. Considering you still have both hands, use one of them to slap yourself!"

'Crocodile' mystery on Harrogate's swamped Stray - harrogateadvertiser.net

August 23 2008

HARROGATE got a flavour of the tropics this week - but torrential rain wasn't the only exotic visitor, as a crocodile made its home in a swamped corner of the Stray.

Drivers and walkers – at least those prepared to brave the downpours – gathered for a glimpse, undeterred by a bright yellow sign warning of the presence of a dangerous predator.

Closer inspection revealed the beast to be little more than a wooden log with eyes on stalks.It's a new spin on the Loch Ness Monster which paid a visit to the Stray during previous floods.

And just like its fabled Scottish predecessor, the origin of the crocodile remains shrouded in mystery.

Harrogate Advertiser readers have said they were "tickled" by the prank, with one correspondent saying: "It makes me laugh every time I go past."

Crocodile tears - telegraph.co.uk

Crocodiles don't cry, but they do shed tears. The nerve supply to their salivary glands and tear ducts are next door to each other, so that, when a crocodile spots lunch, it drools and "cries" simultaneously.

As it eats, tears well up and its eyes fill with froth and bubbles.

The term "crocodile tears" gained wide popularity as a result of a single passage in The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, first published in the 14th century:
"In many places of Inde are many crocodiles - that is, a manner of long serpent. These serpents slay men and they eat them weeping."

ALLIGATOR CRAFT

Making a papier mache crocodile or alligator...






A very cool finished product!

Alligator takes school bus home - bbc.co.uk

A school bus in the US had an unusual extra passenger on the way home after a group of kids took an alligator on it.

They spotted the alligator crossing the road in front of their bus and, after persuading the driver to stop, got off and took the animal on with them.

They had taped the alligator's mouth shut to keep it from biting them but it was still a dangerous thing to do.

The alligator wasn't hurt by its unexpected ride, and the dad of one of children let it go into a river.

The alligator was taken on a school busThe bus driver has been suspended while officials investigate how it all happened.

Alligator on loose in city was just a soft toy - telegraph.co.uk

24 August 2008
When an alligator was reported loose on the streets of Bristol, police and the RSPCA snapped into action.

Roads were sealed off as they staked out the creature, which appeared to be lying in garden bushes with the remains of a bird in its jaws.

After a tense 30-minute stand-off, emergency workers used a camera to zoom in on the reptile – and discovered that it was a stuffed toy.

Richard Masling, an RSPCA inspector, said after Friday’s incident: “As animal rescues go, this one was child’s play.”

RSPCA chief inspector Richard Masling said: "We thought it would be a captive caiman which had escaped or been abandoned, then killed and eaten a wild bird and was laying on the grass digesting it.

"Caiman are part of the alligator family and have very sharp teeth, so it was very important that the police and RSPCA took all the necessary safety precautions to protect ourselves and the public.

"But in the end, as animal rescues go - this one really was child's play."

It is unclear if the emergency was a prank but the toy had fluff in its mouth to appear like feathers and an elastic band made to look like a muzzle was wrapped around its jaws.

Chief Insp Masling added: "Although this turned out to be a funny call, the number of unwanted and abandoned exotic animals which the Society deals with is no laughing matter. That includes, on occasions, the odd caiman."

Caiman alligators are native to freshwaters in the United States but can be kept as pets.

Knitted alligator scarf

Pattern from Morehouse Farm... http://www.morehousefarm.com/KnittingKits/Scarves/Alligator/

Alligator recovered in a Union City drug bust recovers at Oakland Zoo - insidebayarea.com

22 August 2008
OAKLAND — Nimitz is just about to be released from reptile rehab and head for a new home in Florida. He appeared very happy about this Thursday morning in his temporary pen at the Oakland Zoo, although it's hard to tell if he was smiling at onlookers or considering them possible snacks.

We'll say smiling, because Nimitz has every reason to be an exuberant American alligator these days. He's come a long way since March, when he was found during a drug bust at a Union City apartment, all 5 feet of him crammed into a fish tank about the same size, his muscles atrophied from lack of exercise and his system weak from a steady diet of hot dogs.

Since then, he's been recovering at the Oakland Zoo, learning how

to eat real gator food (rats, mice and fish), regaining his strength, cooling himself in a small pond and basically lounging around in thick grass till the tourists go home.

In about two weeks, he will be traveling in a specially built crate to a permanent residence at Croc Encounters, a 22-acre nonprofit sanctuary in Florida for rescued or endangered reptiles.

"It's been really rewarding for us to see him outside like this, and so healthy. We're proud of the progress he's made," said Margaret Rousser, lead keeper of the children's zoo — and of Nimitz — watching lovingly as he trotted over to his pond for a refreshing morning dip. "When he first came to us, he was very thin for his length," she said. "We've estimated he's about 3 or 4 years old, but it's hard to tell since his growth rate was altered by his limited environment and poor nutrition.

"He was so weak when he got here, he could barely take two steps. His muscles had atrophied pretty badly. And he was frightened. He had never been in sunshine and grass before, and he just stayed huddled up against the wall behind the tortoise exhibit. It took a good two months to get him strong enough that we felt he could go outside and walk through the grass

Nimitz, a confiscated alligator brushes his nose on the fence at the Oakland Zoo Thursday August 21st, 2008. The approximately 3 year old American Alligator will be sent to a sanctuary in Florida. (Mike Lucia/Daily Review) like this."

It's illegal for people to keep an exotic animal as a pet without a permit, and there's a reason for that, Rousser said.

"Not only could such an animal pose a danger, but most people don't have the resources to keep an animal like this, the proper environment or food," she said. "They have no idea how to care for it; the animal grows bigger than they expected and then ends up in a bad situation, or let loose, which poses other problems."

Nimitz was so named by zookeepers because he was found in an apartment on Decoto Road, on the fringe of Interstate 880. On March 14, Union City police officers were conducting a routine probation search at the apartment of 30-year-old Eric Windom when they came across a few

Visitors at the Oakland zoo watch as Nimitz, an alligator that was confiscated in Oakland, recuperates Thursday, August 21st, 2008. The approximately 3 year old American Alligator will be sent to a sanctuary in Florida. (Mike Lucia/Daily Review) surprises: numerous pot plants, other illegal drugs, a handgun and — much to the officers' surprise — an alligator.

Windom, who was arrested on various drug and firearms charges, didn't have a permit for such a critter, so Nimitz had to be confiscated. Animal control and the California Department of Fish & Game were called in to assist six Union City officers in wrangling the gator, with help from over-the-phone advice from the Oakland Zoo.

"We had to get two catch poles to put around the neck and tail," said Fish & Game Warden Jessica Jacobsen. "He was scared, so it wasn't an easy task. Then we were able to get him in one of the cages in the animal control van, and we brought him to the zoo."

The zoo is not usually in the business of rehabbing distressed animals, but where else is a gator gonna go?

"There really aren't that many places around here to rehab an alligator," Rousser said. So they set up a special pen for Nimitz with his own private quarters because he was too small to be with the five full-grown alligators in the zoo's regular exhibit.

He has grown during his zoo stay — not much in length, but in girth. He's 25 pounds now, and when fully grown, he could get up to 300 pounds and 8- to 10-feet long.

He will never be able to go into the wild, even in his native Florida, Rousser said. "It's like taking a person out of New York City and throwing him in the rain forest," she said. "He wouldn't know sources of food or how to survive.

"I'm gonna miss him, but I'm absolutely thrilled he's going to be in a safe place down in Florida, where alligators come from," Rousser said. "He'll get a chance to be an alligator again."

Runway cleared of fish, alligator and snakes - myfoxorlando.com

20 August 2008
MELBOURNE, Fla. As if drenching rains, flooding and unrelenting wind weren't enough, Tropical Storm Fay threw a different challenge at Melbourne International Airport staff early Wednesday.

A routine check turned up some unexpected visitors that had washed onto the active runway - two gopher tortoises, four walking catfish, an alligator and a blue indigo snake.

"We thought one of the tortoises was the top of one of the taxiway lights - then it started to move," said Cliff Graham, the airports operations manager.

The unexpected wildlife encounter provided much-needed comic relief for the airport staff. "We had to get the four walking catfish off the runway before Delta could land, Graham said. "We all got soaked, but it was important to clear the runway to ensure passenger safety and to get the animals out of harms way, airport executive director, Richard Ennis added.

Walking catfish use their pectoral fins to get around on land and can breathe out of water as long as they stay moist, which wasn't a problem Wednesday morning with drenching rains which poured over most of Brevard County.

The tortoises were moved to the airport's designated gopher tortoise relocation area, the walking catfish and snake were tossed back into a nearby pond. The gator scampered back into a drainage ditch, Ennis said.

Doctors fail to reattach arm of boy attacked by alligator - journalnow.com

1 August 2008
NEW ORLEANS Doctors were unable to reattach an 11-year-old Louisiana boy's arm that had been retrieved from the belly of an alligator, a family friend said yesterday.

Doctors at Ochsner Hospital worked Wednesday night to reattach Devin Funck's left arm, which had been taken to a hospital after its recovery about 31/2 hours after the attack. But family friend Cory Dunn said that the effort was unsuccessful.

"They could not save the arm," Dunn said. "He's got a long way to go, lots of surgery. He'll need prosthesis."

Alligators a snap for delivery man - upi.com

20 August 2008
SAN FRANCISCO. Animal transportation worker Rick Cleveland says he has no problem transporting alligators around the United States despite their hostile demeanor.

Cleveland, who delivered an American alligator to a San Francisco aquarium this week, said delivering the potentially deadly reptiles poses a much more substantial risk that animals like bears or lions, The San Francisco Chronicle said Wednesday.

"I won't do giraffes," he said. "I won't do elephants. I won't do rhinos... Lions, tigers, bears -- those are a piece of cake."

But the fact he is open to transporting alligators makes Cleveland a rare commodity in the delivery world nationwide.

"There's not many people who do it," Cleveland told the Chronicle. "For obvious reasons."

Nonetheless, Cleveland said the ideal journey with the typically intimidating beasts is one that is "boring."

"You try not to have any problems ... we just want it to be real boring," he told the newspaper.

Crikey! Lost Gator Found At Hotel - thedenverchannel.com

19 August 2008
DENVER -- Sheriff's Deputies in Garfield County were surprised to find 38 inch caiman hiding out in a motel Monday.

Animal control deputies were called to the Super 8 motel in Parachute and captured the caiman, which is a cousin of alligator.

The reptile was taken to the Vet Tech School on Springs Valley Campus in Carbondale.

Even Lord Rutherford had a croc

Rutherford's crocodile on a wall of the Old Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, United-Kingdom

Anyone know anything about this? Is it still there? Would love to hear.

Gator Named Fay? - 540wfla.com

August 20 2008
BAREFOOT BAY -- The Brevard County community of Barefoot Bay took substantial damage from Fay as it passed over the eastern side of the state Tuesday, with at least 51 homes damaged in a late afternoon tornado. Nine of those homes were declared uninhabitable. Barefoot Bay is the second-largest manufactured home community in the U.S.

The space coast community, which accounted for some of the worst damage reports in the early afternoon reports, also managed to account for one of the more interesting animal rescue stories to come from the day of landfall for fat. Residents of Barefoot bay reported a stray, wandering the neighborhood.

The stray was a 4-foot-long alligator.

Wildlife officers were dispatched to take care of the animal. They captured the reptile, and escorted it to a waterway that was safely distant from the community.

Crocodile eats Bangladesh man who sought its blessing - thestandard.com.hk

21 August 2008
A crocodile killed and devoured a 25-year-old man in Bangladesh who waded into a pond next to a shrine hoping to be blessed by the animal, police said.

Inspector Humayun Kabir said that Rubel Sheikh and his mother traveled 50 kilometers from their home to visit the Muslim Khan Jahan Ali shrine, where the attack happened.

Kabir said hundreds of people visit the shrine every day to offer hens and goats to the five crocodiles living in the pond. Part of the ritual also involves bathing in the water.

Kabir said about 25 people dived into the pond following the attack on Wednesday, but could not find the man's body.

It washed ashore on Thursday and had been largely eaten, he said.

Gator aid - trurodaily.com

20 August 2008
If travelling around Canada in a van with a bunch of crocodilians riding shotgun is your idea of a good time, Geoff Battrum has your dream job.
The 21-year-old Ontario resident works for Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo, based in Ottawa. Along with fellow zookeeper Lyndsey Russell, Battrum travels to events educating people about reptiles by giving them hands-on learning experience. They had a crocodile, an alligator and two caimans with them at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Wednesday.
So what’s the best part of the job?
“Working with the animals and you get to play with kids,” said Russell.
Battrum got a job at the zoo after finishing a job placement there during high school, while Russell went to school for the position. They both work with Little Ray’s animals, which are mostly all rescued or dropped-off reptiles.
“We don’t like using the word rescued because people think the animal wasn’t well looked after, where most of the ones we get are very well looked after. Mostly the person just realizes or something clicks that they shouldn’t have it (the crocodilian),” said Battrum.
The reptile show is visiting the exhibition for the rest of the week and will be giving educational shows roughly every two hours at the raceway. During the show the zookeepers talk to the crowd about all the different kinds of crocodilians and throw in some interesting facts.
For example, there is actually only one kind of crocodilian that sees people as a source of food and that is the Nile crocodile in Africa. About 300 people a year are eaten by that species, said Battrum.
This little factoid drew some worried looks toward the Nile crocodile he was holding in front of a small crowd. However, after the show spectators are usually invited up to touch the crocks and curiosity mostly overcomes fear.
Both Battrum and Russell have come to care for their scaled travelling companions and hope to continue educating people for a long time because as far as Battrum is concerned, he has one of the best jobs in the world.
“I get to travel and play with crocodiles,” he laughed.

Eight crocodiles rip drunk tourist to pieces - news.com.au

August 19 2008
A DRUNKEN man on a wildlife tour leaned over a rail to stroke a crocodile - and was pulled into the water and torn to shreds by eight of the raging beasts as 50 horrified holidaymakers looked on.

Fire department spokesman Ramiro Alos, speaking from the Lake Carpintero sanctuary near Tampico, Mexico, said: "It’s unheard of for eight crocodiles to join forces in killing a man.

"It’s the most savage attack in living memory in Mexico.

"There are no remains and we can’t identify him. He must have suffered horrifically."

Origami croc

Armed robber scared off by 'Alligator Netty' - telegraph.co.uk

14 Aug 2008
A newsagent frightened away a knife-wielding robber after producing a larger blade in a scene straight out of Crocodile Dundee.

Annette Lewis, 46, has earned the nickname "Alligator Netty" after pulling out the blade and telling the bemused youth "my knife's better than yours"

The raider burst into A and C Lewis Newsagents, in Pontmorlais, Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, demanding cash and cigarettes.

Mrs Lewis said: "He said 'hand over the cigarettes and £50 out of the till or you will get this'... and showed me a knife.

"I had a bigger knife under the counter for opening parcels, so I picked it up and told him 'my knife's better than yours'.

"He called me mad and went for the door. Then he said 'come on then'. I went to run after him and he ran away then."

In the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, Paul Hogan's character pulls out a Bowie knife and tells a switchblade-carrying mugger "That's not a knife, this is a knife."

Mrs Lewis said family and friends were now calling her "Alligator Netty" and comparing her to Hogan's character.

She added: "I was lucky really as it could have gone the other way, but I think I shocked him more than he shocked me. Let's hope it's put him off and he doesn't do it again."

South Wales Police have launched an inquiry.

Alligator fished out of N.Y. pond - UPI.com

August 15 2008
Wildlife officials said they fished a 3-foot alligator out of a Chappaqua, N.Y., pond one day after a sighting of the animal was reported to police.

Josh Dreisacker, field manager of Westchester Wildlife Control, said he managed to tangle the reptile in fishing line and take it into custody Wednesday night, the White Plains (N.Y.) Journal reported Friday.

Dreisacker said he is now searching for a new home for the gator, which he said probably used to be someone's pet because it is not shy around humans.

Robert D'Allasandro, the man who reported the gator sighting to police Tuesday, said he was relieved to hear the animal was caught.

"When he spotted me, he jumped in the water and then he turned around and popped his whole head out," he said of the alligator. "(He) was looking right at me for about 10 minutes. He was staring at me and I was staring at him."

D'Allasandro said police sounded surprised when he reported the sighting.

"They were a little dumbfounded," D'Allasandro said. "I mean, who sees an alligator in Westchester County?"

My kind of playground!

Pineapple-gator... Yum!

Author Notes: This awesome alligator is no swamp-lurker, he'd much rather be front and center on your buffet.

Supplies:
2 pineapples
red radish
2 small black olives
butternut squash
allspice berry
2 kiwis
sharp chef's knife
sharp paring knife
fine-gauge florist's wire, or needle and thread
toothpicks
sturdy spoon
Instructions: 1. Cut both pineapples in half lengthwise; remove fruit inside, leaving only skin.
2. Choose two largest halves to form body; smaller pieces should be used for head and tail. In order to achieve the desired shape for head and tail, you will probably have to do some trimming. Attach pieces with florist's wire or needle and thread.

3. Cut two radish rounds; insert black olives in centers to form eyes; attach with toothpicks.

4. Cut a large slice of butternut squash; trim into shape of fish. Attach allspice berry to radish circle to form eye and put on fish; insert fish into mouth of alligator.

5. Cut kiwis in half; cut out small triangle to form claws; position alongside body of alligator.

Crocodiles kill man in Mexico - sindhtoday.net

Aug 12th, 2008

A drunken man has been brutally killed by as many as eight crocodiles when he tried to touch one of the reptiles at a wildlife sanctuary in northeastern Mexico, Spain’s EFE news agency reported.

The victim was apparently drunk when he jumped over a railing with the intention of touching a crocodile in Lake Carpintero, but he was surprised by another crocodile, who grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the water, the report said Tuesday.

The incident took place in front of 50 other tourists Sunday, a spokesman for the fire department in the nearby Gulf coast city of Tampico, said, adding that the man is yet to be identified.

On May 25, in another horrifying incident, a fisherman was killed by a crocodile in Mexico’s northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Officials said the reptile came out of its home after heavy rains flooded the area.

Of late, the heavy showers have flooded the Rio Grande river here, resulting in the crocodiles to enter it, posing serious threats, mainly to illegal immigrants who use this river to cross over to the US, authorities said.

Laxey artist has painting selected for London gallery - iomtoday.co.im

11 August 2008
By GAEL STIGANT
A Laxey artist has been selected for a leading watercolour exhibition.
Eileen Schaer, of Glen Road, is one of 80 artists who will feature in the 2008 Royal Watercolour Society/Sunday Times watercolour exhibition.

There was more than 1,200 entries.

'I'm really pleased — it's great,' said Eileen, who has been creating artwork for 38 years.


CROCODILE WITH FRIENDS: Eileen Schaer’s watercolour will appear in an exhibition at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London

'It's a nice surprise. This is the second time I've been in the competition — I was in it in 1993 as well.'

The artists are also competing for a share of the total prize money of £25,000.

Eileen's painting, named Crocodile with Friends, will be on display at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London.

'I thought it would stand out,' she explained.


'I had a feeling that I would be lucky with that one and I was.'

Eileen, 59, also has an interest in lino prints, acrylic paintings and sculptures.

The exhibition runs from September 10 to 21, and most of the work, including Crocodile with Friends, will be for sale.

The winners of the competition will be announced in The Sunday Times this month.

A Curious Contraception - www.theafterschoolspecial.com

It was only the other day that I learnt that the first recorded use of contraception was in 2000BC by the Egyptians. I can’t say why I learned the fact, just as I can’t fathom out why I still know the words to “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” twenty years or so after its release. These things seep into the brain and stick like chewing gum to a sock there to annoy one for all time. But try to remember to take the cake out of the oven or to pick up your sunglasses off the chemist’s counter… not a hope in hell.

It was not the fact that the Egyptians used contraceptives that turned my head, clever people to a man those Egyptians. No, it was what they used that made the fact stick.

Crocodile dung.

At this point on the learning curve the mind goes into overdrive. Who first discovered that crocodile dung made a good contraceptive. And how did they use it?

“Hey Cleo, that blasted crocodile has crapped in our bed again. Hmmm I wonder….”.

The importance of dung as a contraceptive was not lost on the Aztecs either. It is a little known fact that Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew, Cuitlahac, whose name meant “Plenty of excrement.” Naming the poor, hapless lad in this way obviously served as a handy reminder for Cuitlahac’s father to lard on the crocodile dung in future encounters.

The gathering of crocodile dung must have been quite an adventure. There is a fair chance that crocodile dung was not available over the counter at Boots in tablet form, nor was it a question of nipping into the pub toilets and buying it in packets of three from a machine.

“Did you get them Tut?”
“Yer.”
“Hope you got the flavoured ones. What flavour did you get?”
“Crocodile.”

Images of rampant young Egyptian men swim through the mind, feverishly searching the banks of the Nile their loincloths outrageously tented by their ardour. “Here crockie, crockie.” Imaging the panic if the young man should actually find the crocodile and then realises that, as with all animals, crocodiles go to the toilet after they have eaten. Perhaps it was this thought alone that served as the contraceptive.

“Not now Nephatiti, I’ve got a headache.”

It must have crossed randy young minds that perhaps it was not only crocodile dung that would serve as a contraceptive.

Many experiments with other types of dung must have taken place.

“What a fine family you have.”
“Yes, this is our eldest ‘Elephant crap is useless’ and over here we have the twins ‘Never use camel’ and ‘that bloody camel dung is rubbish’. And this little one is our youngest, ‘Hey-ho, back to the crocodile shit’.”

It has to be said that the whole notion of using crocodile dung is so fraught with improbability that I suspect that it was a ruse put about by Egyptian fathers to deter young courtiers. My suspicion is that the fathers would only grant permission for young lads to take out their daughters with the proviso that they had a lump of crocodile dung in their wallets in case they became overcome by passion. So warned the young men would wade out into the river either to become crocodile crap themselves or to realise that crocodiles only do their toilet after they have eaten. Either way the young lady would not be bothered further by the young man who would simply take himself downtown to find a young lady whose father was either not so discerning or had not heard the one about the crocodile dung.

Today, of course, ardent young men do not have to suffer the indignation of their ancient Egyptian counterparts. All that is required these days is to slip into the toilets at the local pub and feed the slim machine on the wall a couple of pound coins. Of course the draw will fail to slide open and no amount of turning the knob will cause the packet to drop. Kicking and banging the machine is not an option as this will only serve to bring attention to oneself. The result then is the same. Neither the ancient Egyptian nor the modern young man has managed to get the requisite contraception. And, if the young lady in question is sensible, this means that neither young man is going to get his proverbial end away and will have to put up with a quick hand shandy back in his own pit.

Mystery illness killing Kruger’s crocs - thetimes.co.za

Aug 10, 2008
The Kruger National Park’s crocodiles are dying of a mystery illness and scientists believe that many more will join the 130 that have died since the end of May.

Researchers and veterinarians have teamed up with academics to try to understand why the reptiles have been dying in the Olifants and Letaba rivers.

This week the team conducted postmortems on several carcasses found along the river banks and captured 11 live crocodiles . The scientists believe the crocodiles died of pansteatitis, a condition usually associated with the consumption of rotten fish. But there have been no reports of dying fish, leaving the experts baffled .

“A new theory being investigated is that because the live crocodiles are preying on the carcasses of the dead ones, they are getting infected ,” said Danie Pienaar, the park’s head of Scientific Services.
Karen van Rooyen

Mason rescues caged alligator - nj.com/news

August 08 2008
This mason had a whale of a tale to explain why he was late for work on Thursday.

OK, maybe not a whale of a tale or even a fishy excuse ... how about this: mason found an alligator on the side of the road on his way to work. What a croc?, you say. This one's true, honest.

According to a report in the Press of Atlantic City, Fred Schubert wrestled a vicious alligator to ground with his bare hands on his way to work Thursday.

"I've spent years honing my skill as a crocodile hunter," Schubert told the paper.

If you ask one of his co-workers, they'll say Schubert found an alligator in a cage on the side of the road at 6 a.m. Thursday, placed it in the back of his pick-up truck and went to work.

CAR reveals Project Alligator as big Mercedes/Aston Martin collaboration

Not really about crocodylians... but... sort of!

Project Alligator. That's the internal code-name for a potential collaboration between Mercedes and Aston Martin on everything from drivetrains to platforms.



CAR's September issue gets into all the details, which includes such tasty nuggest as the possible use of AMG's 6.2-liter V8 in the next Vantage, porting over Mercedes' future eight-speed auto 'box into Astons, sharing platforms between both automaker's high-end models (think SL and beyond), cooperating on the development of diesels and hybrids, and using Aston's future products to keep Maybach alive and maybe even help the wayward ultra-luxury brand thrive with up to five new models.

But it gets even bigger. A collaboration between the two could place M-B in a good position to buy Aston Martin if its new owners, including Prodrive's David Richards, decide to exit the automaking biz.

As CAR points out, however, the only potential loser from Project Alligator coming to fruition is Mercedes' other partner, McLaren

Croc dines on a mate - cairns.com.au

August 7 2008
IT'S a croc-eat-croc world in the wilds of Cape York.

This 3.5m saltie was snapped by visiting fisherman Wayne Pierce as it was tucking into another croc in the Mission River at Weipa, 800km north of Cairns.

Snack time: A 3.5m saltwater crocodile tucks into a second saltie in the Mission River at Weipa. Picture: WAYNE PIERCE/ THE WESTERN CAPE BULLETIN.


Croc cannibalism among adult crocodiles was rare, Weipa zoologist Lauren Collings told The Cairns Post.

"Crocs are cannibals," Ms Collings said.

"Except the case you usually see is adults eating juvenile crocs."

The big croc was likely to have sniffed the carcass and came looking for a feed, she said.

"They have a great sense of smell.

"If they smell old meat, they'll go to it.

"I reckon the first one would've got injured in a crocodile fight, or the most likely reason is it got shot by people."

While the photos are unusual, Weipa locals are used to living side by side with the giant predators - even naming their favourites.

Working as a surveyor aboard Weipa's ship loader in the Embley River, Ms Collings recalled sighting a massive croc basking on a nearby sandbar.

"I said 'Hey, there's a croc - aren't you excited?'

"They said 'No. He's there all the time. His name's Craig'."

Ms Collings scored naming rights on a second crocodile sharing Craig's sandbar.

"I called him Gazza," she said.

"I had that job two years ago and they're still there."

Ms Collings denied rumours the two were more than friends.

"They're just sharing a convenient piece of land," she said.

Rare croc sighting in suburb - news.com.au

August 06 2008
A RARE crocodile sighting in a Singapore suburb has sparked a hunt by authorities - as well as by locals eager to catch a glimpse of it.

The one-metre-long crocodile was first spotted two weeks ago at a park in a residential suburb, the Straits Times reported today.

It is likely a saltwater crocodile common in mangroves and rivers in South-East Asia, experts interviewed by the newspaper said.

Authorities have been trying to trap the animal, but nature lovers are also looking out for a chance to photograph it, the report said.

"I wanted to see the crocodile in its natural habitat before someone else does something to it. After all, Singapore has so little wildlife left,'' said public servant KC Wong, 53, who was combing the vicinity with his son.

Animal experts have urged the public to stay away from the reptile if they spot it.

The park and mangrove swamp is frequented by nature lovers and joggers.

Despite its small size and dense population, Singapore is dotted with forests, parks and nature reserves.

Anyone for chess?

Personally I'd let the croc win... I've seen them eat turtles...

RAMSI police kill giant crocodile - radioaustralia.net.au

Aug 4 2008
Members of RAMSI's Participating Police Force in Solomon Islands have killed a giant crocodile that was stalking a village.

Solomons Broadcasting reports the police were responding to an urgent appeal for help from the Marumbo village community near Lambi in West Guadalcanal.

It says the 4.2 metre crocodile, one of the biggest seen in recent times, was shot by two police officers.

Villagers say the crocodile had frequently been seen around homes and the local beach in recent weeks.

It killed one of the village pigs and started following children as they played near the water.

SIBC quotes the villagers as saying everyone in the area is very relieved the crocodile is dead.

Leopard savaging a crocodile caught on camera - Telegraph.co.uk

18/07/2008
The astonishing spectacle of a leopard savaging a crocodile has been captured for the first time on camera.



A series of incredible pictures taken at a South African game reserve document the first known time that a leopard has taken on and defeated one of the fearsome reptiles



The photographs were taken by Hal Brindley, an American wildlife photographer, who was supposed to be taking pictures of hippos from his car in the Kruger National Park.



The giant cat raced out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby.

A terrible and bloody struggle ensued. Eventually, onlookers were amazed to see the leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back.



With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile's huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat.



Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it.

In the past, there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed.



Mr Brindley said: 'I asked many rangers in South Africa if they had ever heard of anything like this and they all said no.



"It just doesn't make sense. The meat you get out of a crocodile is just not worth the risk it takes a predator to acquire. The whole scene happened in the course of about 5 minutes. Then the leopard was gone.



"I drove away, elated in disbelief. It may have been the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Ellie Rose, a reptile keeper at London Zoo, said: "Normally, crocodiles are well able to defend themselves against attack. I can't think of any examples of this happening before."

Skull of largest crocodile in Kendrapara - thestatesman.net

July 31
The skull of an estuarine crocodile, the country's largest, preserved at a miniature museum at Orissa's Kendrapara district continues to attract reptile researchers.
Mr Shibendu Narayan Bhanjadeo, the scion of erstwhile Kanika Zamindari that ruled the river-locked Rajkanika region for over a century, said that the 76-year-old crocodile skull is the most precious possession of the museum run by a trust.
Noted crocodile experts, including Mr Romalous Whitekar, have certified that the preserved skull is the country's largest one. In fact, a bigger crocodile skull was at Bhopal, but now it has been damaged due to unscientific preservation, he said.
Bhanjadeo possesses other wildlife trophies that include two skulls of male elephants. “I am very much aware that we cannot keep wildlife skulls at home. It is an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act. That is why part of my ancestral palace has been converted into a miniature museum and the last vestige of royal clan has been preserved with utmost care,” he quipped.

Dog in a croc...

Just the way I like a dog!

Crocodile Dundee... Paul Hogan

Sorry, wrong habitat: the lost croc of Dee Why - smh.com.au

February 24 2006
FOR a creature so menacing, capturing the rogue crocodile in the northern beaches last night proved to be disarmingly simple.

Just before dusk, with nets set up strategically, Craig Adams, operations manager at the Australian Reptile Park, stripped down to his swimmers, donned goggles, and went for a paddle. Minutes later he emerged holding one saltwater crocodile, far from its comfort zone.

It is believed the croc is male and aged about three. But how it came to be in a Dee Why pond remains a mystery. The reptile park's spokeswoman, Mary Rayner, said: "It's illegal to keep crocodiles as pets so … somebody might have smuggled it into NSW and it escaped, or it got too big and it was dumped." It probably would not have survived the winter had it evaded capture, she said. Its new abode will be the reptile park at Somersby on the Central Coast.

The reptile was first spotted by a Cromer cafe owner, Silvana Morello, who said her friends thought she was mad or "had had too much to drink" when she mentioned the sighting.

While the croc was tiny, the media presence throughout the day was huge, including helicopters, camera crews and blow-by-blow analysis on talkback radio.

At one point police evicted a TV camera crew that had waded into the water to flush out the croc from beneath some lilypads at the industrial estate off South Creek Road. Sightseers, too, mobbed the pond, forcing police to seal it off.

Estimates of the reptile's size had varied wildly before its capture. "It's a friggin' lizard," said one local, Zaab Burt. "I can't believe it has kicked up all this fuss. It says more about the humans than the croc."

Ms Morello said the croc's arrival had made business brisk. "But if anyone else says 'make it snappy' I will scream."

Two heads are better then one

June 25, 2001 An official shows off a two-headed baby crocodile at Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. The three-day-old crocodile, which shares the bottom part of the body, has eight legs and two tails. It is 6.7 inches long and weighs 2.5 ounces.

Alligator and rattlesnake found by animal cruelty officers in Galashiels - dailyrecord.co.uk

July 7 2008
Animal detectives were forced to grapple with an angry five-foot alligator as they rescued the reptile from its home in Galashiels. Inspectors from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals swooped on the Selkirkshire town after a tip-off that the spectacled caiman was being kept without a licence.


It took two officers to grab the gator, nicknamed Alice. And they also had to catch a western diamondback rattlesnake they found at the same address.
The two reptiles were driven 400 miles to the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow, where they were being looked after by experts last night.
The snake is set to go to a new home at a zoo in the UK but Alice is emigrating to Spain. She is due to fly out tomorrow to the Crocodile Park in Torremolinos, home to 300 crocs from 12 species.
SSPCA spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "We're extremely grateful to British Airways for flying the alligator to Spain.
"She will be accompanied by two officers from the SSPCA to ensure she settles well into her new home."
Areport on the raid will be sent to the procurator fiscal.
Alice is not the first gator to be rescued in Scotland and sent to Torremolinos.
SSPCA inspectors found another spectacled caiman in 2004 in the boot of its owner's car.
Owner Anthony Quinn had kept the animal in his 15th-floor tower block flat.
He was caught after trying to sell the caiman to undercover SSPCA inspectors. Quinn was fined £200 and the reptile was rehomed at the Crocodile Park.

Crocodile attacks in Australia - amazingaustralia.com.au

On average only one person a year is killed by a crocodile in Australia, in comparison three people a year die from bee stings, and thousands from smoking and car accidents so as long as you take some sensible precautions there is no need to worry on your Australian holiday.

Most crocodile attacks occur between late September and January when crocodiles are hungry after the dry season and are preparing to breed, and most victims had been under the influence of alcohol, and swimming at times and in places that most sensible people would avoid.

Crocodiles are capable of biting with a force of a tonne per square inch, believed to be more powerful than the jaws of the legendary Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur!
Although the average annual death toll from crocs is only one, there was a bit of a peak in crocodile attacks in 2005 when from late August to early October three people were killed and one girl injured.

Freeport alligator 'Ali Baba' goes home - bahamaislandsinfo.com

02 July 2008
He didn’t belong here in the first place. Nevertheless, eleven years ago, Ali Baba and fourteen other baby male alligators were flown in to Freeport by Parrot Jungle, then lessee of the Garden of the Groves.

In a misguided and ill-fated attempt to enhance the property’s attraction value by offering zoo-like exhibits of live animals, the alligators were brought in without much apparent thought for their well-being as they grew and matured. After the hurricanes of 2004 devastated the Garden along with much of Grand Bahama, and then Wilma in 2005 added the finishing touches, Parrot Jungle completely abandoned their responsibility for the surviving animals in the summer of 2006.

That summer, the Humane Society of Grand Bahama and Grand Bahama Nature Tours became aware of the plight of the few remaining animals at the Garden, and assisted in rescuing and re-homing a number of animals, including peacocks, ducks, and the surviving pigs and goats who had been featured in the “petting zoo”. Ali Baba was the sole surviving alligator. Fifteen mature alligators could not live in the small enclosure originally built for them; some had died prior to the hurricanes and the rest soon after.


For the past two years, Sameir Wildgoose, Field Services Officer for the Humane Society, visited the Garden twice a week with raw chicken and turkey meals for Ali Baba. Grand Bahama Nature Tours enlisted the help of UNEXSO who provided raw fish for Ali’s weekend meals. All the while, HSGB and GBNT were working with David Hitzig, Executive Director of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida in an attempt to re-export Ali Baba to his country of origin. Because he was captive bred in Florida, and because alligators are recognized as threatened species by the CITES treaties, of which both the Bahamas and the U.S. are signatories, the red tape and delays were extensive.

Finally, almost two years later, last Thursday, June 26th, David Hitzig, Deania Hitzig and Shannon Wiyda from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary flew in to Freeport and on Friday, handled and supervised the safe capture and crating of Ali Baba, who is now 11 years old and well over 10 feet long. The whole process went very smoothly and Ali Baba was handled humanely and gently. Bob Clutter of GB Express flew in first thing Saturday morning to pick up Ali Baba and Mr. Hitzig for the flight to Miami and after clearing Customs there, flew them to Jupiter.


David Hitzig reported via email late Saturday that “Ali made the trip just fine. Bob Clutter (pilot) was very helpful at every point along the way and took extra time to make sure we had smooth take-offs and landings. We landed in Miami after a 45 minute flight. Both the Customs agents and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel were very cooperative and helpful. We were on the ground in Miami only a short time and then back in the air headed to Jupiter. We landed at a small airport about 15 minutes from the Sanctuary.

Bob's airplane was the largest aircraft at the airport. Everyone came out to photograph the unusual looking flying box carrying a crated alligator for cargo.

Ali was in the water and swimming around by 2:00pm. He will live in a controlled captive natural habitat where he will be able to live naturally with other alligators. Thank you to all that helped; everything from capture to release went very smoothly!”


Erika Gates of Grand Bahama Nature Tours said “This is the day we have been working towards for the past two years. Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida is not an animal exhibit but a wildlife rescue facility with experts who are devoted to making life better for all animals they take in.

This rescue operation has been a team effort between the Humane Society and Grand Bahama Nature Tours who both cared for the animal over the past two years, the Dolphin Experience, who never failed to provide the necessary fish, Bahamas Agriculture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Authorities and, of course, David Hitzig who tirelessly negotiated and fought for the re-importation of the animal back to the U.S.

The total effort, however, to provide better living conditions for Ali could not have been reached without the support of the Grand Bahama Port Authority who committed to this rescue effort from the beginning."

The Humane Society must thank Albacore Construction’s crew who gladly helped with the lifting of Ali’s crate into the plane at the airport Saturday morning. Thanks also to the numerous residents over the past two years who have been concerned and inquired about the safety and health of Ali Baba.

Being bred in captivity, and thus accustomed to and dependent on humans meant that Ali Baba was not a candidate for a wild release. His only hope was for a sanctuary/refuge such as the Busch facility to agree to take him in. Many thanks to all those who persevered to make it happen, including The Pegasus Foundation, and the Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture, particularly Dr. Geoffrey Lynne, Dr. Godfrey Springer, and Melanie Williams; and most of all, the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary for providing a permanent home for Ali Baba.

To those who might ask why all this fuss for a single alligator – a much maligned and misunderstood species usually represented in the news only for “attacks”, most of which are provoked by humans - the HSGB would reply that all God’s creatures were put here for a purpose, not for us to necessarily understand but that we should honor nonetheless. Animals bred or captured for human exploitation deserve special consideration from any humane point of view, and the HSGB is proud to have been a part of this extraordinary story.

Monster crocs slaughtered - ntnews.com.au

July 23rd, 2008

TWO giant Territory crocodiles found dead were shot by trophy hunters. Both of the crocs were more than 4m long and up to 50 years old.

SENSELESS: One of the mutilated crocs, shot by trophy hunters

One of the salties had its neck mutilated in what appeared to be a failed attempt to behead it.

The other was shot through the eye with a high-powered rifle.

Their corpses were discovered belly-up in the Adelaide River and the senseless slaughters have outraged tour operators and authorities.

Long-time Territorian Harry Bowman -- an Adelaide River Wildlife Cruise tour guide -- said the culprits were "scumbags''.

DISGUSTED: Adelaide River Wildlife Cruise tour guide Harry Bowman branded the croc kill culprits "scumbags''

"It's obvious it is trophy hunters -- they are going for their skulls,'' Mr Bowman said.

"I've noticed the numbers of crocs have been dropping over the past few years but thought it was mainly due to nests flooding or cane toads.

"But there have also been many stories of crocs being shot and found beheaded -- it's got to stop.

"With a bit of luck they will become croc bait themselves.''

The latest dead saltie was spotted on the Adelaide River, about 15km upstream from the bridge, about lunchtime on Monday.

Mr Bowman, 57, was taking a full boat of tourists on the river for a wildlife and leisure croc spotting cruise when they came across the floating 4.7m saltie.

"Everyone was shocked and angry,'' he said.

"They are our business partners -- without them we don't have tours.''

It was found that the croc had been shot in the eye.

Mr Bowman said the 800kg reptile was probably laying on the banks in the sun when it was fired at and it escaped into the water, not allowing the hunters to get it.

He said the shooting would have happened either Friday or Saturday with croc corpses taking several days to float to the surface.

The grisly discovery follows him finding a mutilated 4.6m reptile late last year.

NT Parks and Wildlife Ranger Tommy Nichols said they are trying to retrieve the bullet from the croc for forensic testing. Wildlife officers will investigate the incident, he said.

The culprits could face a maximum fine of $55,000 and six years jail.

Croc list 9

All bought off EBay - I LOVE EBAY!!