tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47744188612418134092024-03-13T17:00:23.952+00:00The CrocophilesNonsensical crocodiles for the obsessive crocophileUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-72548644594019912722013-06-28T10:34:00.001+01:002013-06-28T10:34:38.420+01:00A little bit past it, but still good <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7A9S0v-Tw1Q34PJ15ex90XdY1XGZ6PUf8WGUB3Mtc6wJoo5YQQB1xbSMtBa72cqZ1FaOb12UZ5dONJ_RVTRJaWFaphbp8UcxWUWJmDO5G8O59bu0SOv6UH8sQjirEqQxKcFO8r3uG4Wd/s572/Screen+Shot+2013-06-28+at+21.06.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7A9S0v-Tw1Q34PJ15ex90XdY1XGZ6PUf8WGUB3Mtc6wJoo5YQQB1xbSMtBa72cqZ1FaOb12UZ5dONJ_RVTRJaWFaphbp8UcxWUWJmDO5G8O59bu0SOv6UH8sQjirEqQxKcFO8r3uG4Wd/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-28+at+21.06.07.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-70751491329461670272013-03-30T12:36:00.003+00:002013-03-30T12:38:29.807+00:00Jaws III<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is Jaws III. He lives at Madras Croc Bank Trust in Chennai, India. <br />
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He's quite the star, being one of the biggest crocs in captivity in the world - about 5.2 metres.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqGLAPHqaIbhRUeT4ou8vFgijCiup41Og9_AJZqt_gZxgByENQpSJNHMV6rSgffm8MekRRxp_pjGxEcxOmFH4JLl6jU-HbMNjNjzaz0u5FnYflD9N07AdWgYUhtiOGRdl8ESU9IBlF8A_/s1600/IMG_2448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqGLAPHqaIbhRUeT4ou8vFgijCiup41Og9_AJZqt_gZxgByENQpSJNHMV6rSgffm8MekRRxp_pjGxEcxOmFH4JLl6jU-HbMNjNjzaz0u5FnYflD9N07AdWgYUhtiOGRdl8ESU9IBlF8A_/s400/IMG_2448.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaws III just before feeding time<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-6552755920444974262013-03-27T12:31:00.000+00:002013-03-27T12:31:04.270+00:00Quick update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am currently in Chennai, India volunteering on a croc conservation place so will be blogging on my personal blog while there.<br />
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My <a href="http://snappyjenn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> is here.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-89243184630056175032012-01-15T12:26:00.000+00:002012-01-16T12:27:36.276+00:00Child dies after alligator attack - buenosairesherald.com15 January 2012<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A seven year old boy died today after being attacked by an alligator in Corrientes province. </i></span><br />
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<i>The incident took place as the child and his elder brother walked along a stream near Colonia Progreso area.</i></div>
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<i>Corrientes province Police sources said that the two boys, whose surname is Cuevas, played along Santa Lucía stream, 300 hundred metres away from their home.The water in the stream is dark and full of water hyacinths, thus making visibility harder.</i></div>
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<i>A lurking alligator attacked the child as his brother ran home to ask for help. The 7 year old received critical injuries in his neck and died before medical services could arrive.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-71835714428548168642012-01-15T12:22:00.000+00:002012-01-16T12:23:04.782+00:00Alligator hunter finds unexpected TV fame with 'Swamp People' - al.com15 January 2012<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444e5c; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>There are folks who, no matter how hard they try in life, can't seem to get a break. Then there are those such as Troy Landry who, without asking, just fall into good fortune.</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/10448823-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/10448823-large.jpg" width="207" /></a><i>For four decades, Landry churned out a meager existence in the hot Louisiana sun, catching crawfish and alligators. Then came that pesky call from the History Channel a few years ago.</i></div>
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<i>Landry, the lovable alligator hunter with the syrup-thick Cajun accent on the hit TV show "Swamp People," was in Dallas County near Selma, deer hunting with his son Jacob this past week. Over a full plate of fried and boiled shrimp from Alabama's Gulf, Landry recounted his incredible rise to stardom.</i></div>
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<i>Being a household name and having merchandise with his name, face and his everyday sayings in almost every major retail outlet in America is more than he ever could have imagined, he says. It just kind of happened.</i></div>
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<i>The 50-year-old Landry said he got a call from a game warden several years back, telling him he had given Landry's phone number to some outfit in New York. That group was considering doing a TV documentary on alligator hunting in Louisiana. Landry called the producers out of courtesy to his friend.</i></div>
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<i>The producers said they wanted to follow him around for an entire season of catching alligators. Landry told them no way. The alligator season in Louisiana is just one month long and he was way too busy during that month to fool with them, he said. He eventually caved in and agreed on two days.</i></div>
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<i>The group followed him around, shot its footage and returned home. Landry figured that was probably the end of that.</i></div>
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<i>Many Yankees tend to find parts of Southern lifestyles incredulous. The producers of the documentary showed the terrifying footage around and everyone agreed it would be better suited for a weekly series than a documentary.</i></div>
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<i>"They called back and said they wanted to come see me," Landry said. "They told me they wanted to follow me around for a whole season and make a weekly show out of it. They said they'd pay all my expenses and pay my help. I still wasn't interested. I couldn't imagine anybody but a few hunters and maybe a few fishermen being interested in a show like that."</i></div>
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<i>It was about that time that the bottom fell out of the Asian stock market, Landry said. While most of the alligator meat was sold in the U.S., most of the hides were sold in Asia where they were used in fashion. The price of hides fell from $45 each to $12.</i></div>
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<i>Landry's wife, Bernita, told him the offer from the TV producers might be heaven-sent. If nothing else, they would pay his expenses in these tough times. Landry agreed.</i></div>
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<i>The History Channel filmed the first season in 2009 and the show debuted in August 2010. The premiere drew 3.1 million viewers. Word of the TV show with the crazy Cajun alligator wranglers spread across America. It didn't hurt that the likes of Regis and Kelly, who are big fans, talked about "Swamp People" on their show, which attracted an audience no one really expected.</i></div>
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<i>It didn't take long before Landry's popular phrase "Choot 'em" (shoot him) had become one of those phrases like "Git-R-Done" and "Where's the beef?" that caught on in the U.S.</i></div>
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<i>Landry trademarked the phrase along with others. A clothing company bought the rights to his image and his trademarked sayings. Hats and T-shirts bearing Landry's likeness and sayings are sold by retail outlets across the U.S. including Academy in Birmingham.</i></div>
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<i>"I don't do nothing," Landry said. "They just send me money. The History Channel don't get none of dat."</i></div>
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<i>The final episode of season two recently aired and it drew 5.5 million viewers. It was the No. 1 show on cable TV that night and the No. 2 show in all of television. Season three was filmed in September and will debut in February.</i></div>
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<i>Landry says he knows it will all eventually come to an end, but meanwhile he's dealing with his new-found fame. People somehow find his new home in Pierre Part, La., he said, and knock on his door from daylight to dark. He was recently chosen Louisiana's Man of the Year and he says he can't possibly make all the personal appearances he is being asked to attend.</i></div>
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<i>"It's pretty overwhelming," he said. "That's why I love getting off with my son and going hunting with all these kids. I enjoy dat."</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-82959682016138400392012-01-14T14:44:00.002+00:002012-01-14T14:45:50.804+00:00Strong words from the ignorant...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found this comment on a story from a Maldivian online news site. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow I don't think being Muslim has anything to do with his preferences.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We, as humans, should not have to tolerate Markaz!</span></div>
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<b><i>Markaz on Mon, 17th Jan 2011 5:26 PM </i></b></div>
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<i>"Crocodiles are disgusting and vile creatures. We, as Muslims, should not have to tolerate them."</i><br />
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<i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-45623011837006002812012-01-14T13:23:00.000+00:002012-01-14T14:33:30.312+00:00Terror as crocodile lunges at family in Weipa - cairns.com.au31 December 2011<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">TWO children and their fathers narrowly escaped the jaws of a large crocodile that lunged at them from the same creek where a man was badly mauled earlier this year.</strong></span><br />
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The 4.5m saltie launched itself from the water in a surprise attack on Weipa man Jarrad Ireland, his son Benji, 2, Mr Ireland’s brother Ryan and his daughter Laylah, 3.</div>
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The men were sitting on quad bikes near the shoreline of Trunding Creek when the ordeal unfolded.</div>
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"It came out of the water and lunged at us," Mr Ireland said, adding the small children screamed and burst into tears.</div>
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"It had its mouth open. We just reversed and got out of there."</div>
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Ironically, Mr Ireland went to Trunding Creek to show his brother where Todd Bairstow was almost killed last March in an attack by a 300kg saltwater crocodile, which locked its jaws around his legs and crushed them as it went into a death roll.</div>
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Another Weipa resident said a large crocodile recently "stalked" her from the water while she was walking her dogs near Trunding Creek.</div>
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Mr Ireland is urging others to keep away from the creek, saying he and his family had been several metres from the water’s edge when the crocodile lunged at them on Christmas Day.</div>
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"It got pretty close and it was a pretty big croc," he said. "It was pretty scary for all of us."</div>
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Longtime resident Cal Seaborn said Trunding Creek was a well known crocodile nesting habitat and it was dangerous to be near the water, especially with the current king tides that allow crocodiles to hide in deeper water closer to shore.</div>
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"People need to be aware. It’s only a matter of time before we have a fatality," he said.</div>
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Mr Ireland reported the incident to the Department of Environment and Resource Management and officers surveyed the area but they could not find the crocodile.</div>
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Signs have been erected to warn people about the recent croc sighting.</div>
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Croc sightings can be reported at 1300 130 372.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-88407436182198585772012-01-13T12:33:00.000+00:002012-01-16T12:34:17.003+00:00Italian drug dealer guarded stash with 'mini alligator' - foxnews.com13 January 2012<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i>ROME An Italian drug dealer was arrested after police raided his Rome home and discovered a caiman - a small crocodilian with sharp, snappy jaws - guarding his stash of narcotics, the ANSA news agency reported Friday.</i></span><br />
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<i>The caiman, which was described as "undernourished," was guarding a variety of drugs including cannabis.</i></div>
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<i>"The young animal, almost a meter [three feet] long, was a dangerous species, capable of biting off a man's hand with a single bite," police were quoted as saying.</i></div>
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<i>The caiman was taken to an animal shelter. The owner was being held on drug-trafficking charges, as well as animal mistreatment.</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-5860977500880548852012-01-12T12:36:00.000+00:002012-01-16T12:37:18.196+00:00Reptile keepers raid alligator nest - theherald.com.au13 January 2012<br />
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<a href="http://static.lifeislocal.com.au/multimedia/images/large/1647175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.lifeislocal.com.au/multimedia/images/large/1647175.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica;"><i>Five brave reptile keepers were involved in an American alligator nest raid today at the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby.</i></span><br />
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<i>The alligators at the park usually lay their eggs between Christmas and New Year, but were running a little late due to the cool weather.</i></div>
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<i>Four of the reptile keepers restrained the female alligator while the fifth raided the nest, removing up to 60 eggs.</i></div>
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<i>Plenty of care and man power was needed as the mother is an excellent protector and will aggressively guard up to 400 eggs that she lays.</i></div>
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<i>Some of the eggs are selected for incubation until they hatch about 70 days later.</i></div>
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<i>The Australian Reptile Park is the only zoo in Australia that breeds American alligators and supplies zoos both around the country and internationally.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-15518621755849951482012-01-09T12:57:00.000+00:002012-01-16T12:58:47.521+00:00A GATOR GIG: Fud's hiring alligator handler as part of normal turnover - thedestinlog.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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9 January 2012</div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">DESTIN — Wanted: Somebody who has excellent customer service skills, is comfortable working with children, and enjoys working in a “fast-paced environment.”</span></i><br />
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<i>You better be fast — you’ll be catching and holding alligators. With luck, the gators won’t be catching you.</i></div>
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<i>That’s the job Fudpucker’s in Destin is trying to fill: alligator handler at its Gator Beach attraction.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-56025760730926237472011-12-30T13:09:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:11:03.549+00:00Crocodiles roaming homesteads at night -30 December 2011<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>HLANE – People are living <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: red; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static;"> </span>in fear of crocodiles that are killing livestock and being found in homesteads at night.</i></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>The communities of Hlane in the Lubombo region and Nkambeni in the southern Hhohho are under siege from crocodiles.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Two crocodiles have been caught this week by officials from the Big Game Parks. A crocodile killed a calf at Hlane on Monday this week.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>It is believed that the heifer had gone to the river to drink water. The incident has alarmed residents whose only source of water is the White Mbuluzi River.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>According to Dumisa Nkentjane, a member of the Royal Protection Unit and Hlane community police, the White Mbuluzi River is infested with crocodiles as they are more visible and most active in the summer.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>The summer is generally the season when they feed and are more visible.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Nkentjane said the crocodile was captured with the help of Big Game Parks on Monday this week, but the attacks on livestock have not stopped leading residents to believe that more crocodiles lurk in the river.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Nkentjane said the presence of the reptile at the river was reported to Big Game Parks soon after it was spotted. After the report was made the crocodile pounced on the heifer.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>"I found the heifer dead in the water, I didn’t think it had been killed by a crocodile until I noticed as I dragged it out of the water that it was partially eaten. I panicked when I realised what had happened, it hit me that I had put myself at risk of being savaged by the crocodile by getting in the water," said </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Dan Hlatjwako who works at the nearby Takhamuti Farmers Association at Hlane.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>After the attack on the heifer, Big Game Parks set a trap and the crocodile was captured on Monday.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>"Although it was captured we believe more reptiles roam the waters. There is another at Etingadzeni where it is menacing people, residents cannot even go into the water because of its presence. Our livestock still get attacked by the other crocodiles, though unsuccessfully so far, but we notice gaping wounds on the muzzles of the livestock," said Nkentjane.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Report the crocodile to Game Rangers at Big Game Parks – <strong>23838100</strong> or <strong>25283943/4</strong> or your nearest police stations.</i></span></div>
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</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-17019826029415652752011-12-29T13:18:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:19:55.126+00:00MNDF launches crocodile hunt in Meedhoo - minivannews.com29 December 2011<br />
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Maldives National Defence force (MNDF) has launched a “crocodile hunt” near waters of Meedhoo island of Raa atoll, after locals reported spotting the creature.</div>
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According to MNDF, the crocodile is reportedly 10 feet long and was seen by several islanders moving near a fish enclosure in the waters surrounding Meedhoo.</div>
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Last February, a <a href="http://minivannews.com/environment/second-maldives-crocodile-find-raises-enclosure-issue-15731" style="color: #005680; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">six-foot crocodile</a> was found near the waters of Naifaru in Lhaviyani atoll by a fishing boat crew, while another <a href="http://minivannews.com/news-in-brief/police-arrest-crocodile-15132" style="color: #005680; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">four-foot croc</a> was apprehended by authorities in January in Thaa Atoll.</div>
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In an earlier interview to Minivan News, Maldives-based marine biologist Verena Wiesbauer said the appearance of the animals is a “surprising” and rare occurrence within the country.</div>
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Although not professing to be a crocodile expert, she said that although species such as saltwater crocodiles were common in India, it was “quite surprising” to find them in the atolls of the Maldives.</div>
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Wiesbauer claimed that she believed it would probably be these saltwater crocodiles that have been most recently discovered in the Maldives and although they are rare, the public should be careful.</div>
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The last previous reptilian stranger to be found in the Maldives, a nine foot-long crocodile called ‘Kimboo’, is currently kept in the Kudakudhinge Bageecha (children’s park) in Male’, after being caught by MNDF cadets in 1998.</div>
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In July 2010, students at Billabong High School in Male’ <a href="http://minivannews.com/environment/to-save-a-kimboo-8243" style="color: #005680; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">launched a campaign to ‘Save Kimboo’, </a>due to the small size of its enclosure and poor treatment.</div>
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Kimboo occasionally makes an appearance in local news and even has his own Facebook page calling for his release, however nothing has developed.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">One Comment on "MNDF launches crocodile hunt in Meedhoo"</span></b></div>
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<b>Dhivehi Hanguraama on Fri, 30th Dec 2011 8:04 AM </b></div>
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<b>What kind of retarded child cares about a crocodile?</b></div>
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<b>What on earth are these white devils teaching our children?</b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">(I had to post this article mostly for this comment that appeared with the story! - Jenn)</span></b></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-82996430794988828352011-12-29T12:40:00.000+00:002012-01-14T12:51:37.731+00:00Crocodile sighted in Dusi River - timeslive.co.za<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">29 December 2011</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A crocodile has been sighted in the Dusi River near the Papwa Sewgolum Golf Club in Durban, race organisers said on Thursday.</b></span><br /><br />The crocodile - reported to be 2.5m long - was seen in the late afternoon on Wednesday, Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon spokesman Ray de Vries said.<br /><br />Race organising committee chairman Cameron Mackenzie said in a statement the Dusi Umgeni Conservancy Trust had removed most of the hyacinth, a surface-covering weed, from the river. This meant crocodiles' mobility was less restricted than before.<br /><br />De Vries said if paddlers saw a crocodile, they should notify the race organisers at info@dusi.co.za, who would then contact conservation officials.<br /><br />Nearly 1800 paddlers were expected to enter the race.<br /><br />It starts on February 16, 2012 in Pietermaritzburg and ends in Durban on the 18th.</i><br /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Hmmm… not sure you'd get me paddling that river… -Jenn)</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-55268616500057741932011-12-29T04:09:00.001+00:002012-01-14T12:52:31.207+00:00Crocodile stolen from Snowtown - abc.net.au14 December 2011<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;">A Snowtown woman returned from a weekend trip to find that her pet freshwater crocodile, Pinocchio, was missing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">South Australian Police confirmed the crocodile had been stolen from its cage and are appealing for the public to help.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">South Australian Police confirmed a crocodile has <br />been stolen from it's cage and are appealing for the <br />public to help. (<span class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span class="source" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">ABC</span>)</span></b></span></td></tr>
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Owner Lorraine Samuels says she is worried about what may have happened to him.</div>
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"My worst fear is that someone has eaten him because crocodile meat has become a delicacy."</div>
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Mrs Samuels says she hopes that someone who really, really loves crocodiles has her 70cm long pet.</div>
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"He's gone...and now we've just got an empty enclosure sitting there. It's very sad."</div>
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ABC Mornings presenter, Ann Jones, spoke to Lorraine Samuels, click on the audio to hear the full interview.</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-8764099181368203182011-12-28T13:34:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:35:13.002+00:00Croc skins new focus for farmers - phnompenhpost.com28 December 2011<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Crocodile farmers in Siem Reap are turning away from the export of hatchlings to Vietnam, choosing instead sell the reptiles for their skins.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Luon Nam, president of the province’s Crocodile Feeding Association, said yesterday the reliance on Vietnam was an unsustainable strategy for the industry.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Any change in demand from Cambodia’s eastern neighbour left farmers vulnerable to falling prices, he said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">The CFA shipped about 200,000 crocodiles to Vietnam this year. That was 100,000, or 33 per cent, fewer than in 2010, Luon Nam said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">“The recent decrease in crocodile babies is because we have only the Vietnamese market, and that puts pressure on us,” he said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Newly hatched crocodiles had fetched US$27 each earlier this year, but later fell by as much as 37 per cent to $17, Luon Nam said. This had pushed farmers towards the sale of crocodile skins instead, he said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">“Feeding for skins is expected to see strong demand, because they are wanted in Vietnam, China, Thailand and Singapore,” Luon Nam said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Crocodiles were sold for their skins at the age of three, when they had reached a length of 1.7 to 1.8 metres, Heng Sovannara, chief of the Crocodile Development Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said One centimetre of skin sold for between $5 and $6, he said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Sieam Reap-based farmer Toem Bun Seng said he was feeding about 500 crocodiles that he would sell for their skins.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Toem Bun Seng said he had moved away from selling hatchlings because of the volatility of the Vietnamese market. “I will increase the number of crocodiles I’m raising for skins next year,” he said, adding that he hoped the government would find ways to subsidise the growing industry.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">Heng Sovannara said the government was encouraging farmers to focus on crocodile skins.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; line-height: 21px;">“We want farmers to think about the future, and that’s exporting skins,” he said.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-49005033415052940372011-12-28T13:28:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:29:26.529+00:00Man dives into croc pool to rescue mower - ninemsn.com.au28 December 2011<br />
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<i>A daring reptile park worker has dived into a monster crocodile's pool to retrieve a lawnmower just hours after the animal tried to attack staff at a Gosford wildlife park.</i></div>
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<i>Australian Reptile Park curator Tim Faulkner was one of two workers who crept into the 5m croc's enclosure to grab the mower as the animal was lured away with kangaroo meat.</i></div>
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<i>"I didn't mind jumping in the water, once the croc has fixed on a bit of food," he told AAP.</i></div>
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<i>"Billy distracted him with 'roo meat and I just dove in and grabbed the mower."</i></div>
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<i>Animal handlers at the park just north of Sydney were mowing the lawn at 8am (AEDT) this morning when the monster crocodile charged at them, grabbing the mower's wheel with its jaws.</i></div>
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<i>He then dragged the mower into the park's pool with the engine still running.</i></div>
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<i>The park's marketing manager Libby Bain told ninemsn staff were "flat out" getting the park ready this morning and used two mowers rather than one.</i></div>
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<i>"He's very used to one mower but we think the second one is what's triggered him," Bain said.</i></div>
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<i>Elvis, who has been described by park staff as the "unfriendliest crocodile you would ever want to meet", lost two teeth in the process.</i></div>
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<i>Mr Faulkner said it probably wouldn't be the last time the 50-year-old croc made a nuisance of himself.</i></div>
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<i>"He's just won a big game, so when we get in there to feed him later in the day he's going to be different crocodile, he's going to be the king," he told AAP.</i></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-1947502723520502492011-12-28T13:00:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:28:58.296+00:00Crocodile steals zoo worker's lawn mower -<br />
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28 December 2011 </h2>
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<i>A giant saltwater crocodile named Elvis with an apparent affinity for household machinery charged at </i></h2>
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<i>an Australian reptile park worker Dec. 28 before stealing his lawn mower.</i></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7iULjjOTJFrJ6dtyxydF0A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODY7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/9139c39f22098c1d020f6a7067008eb7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7iULjjOTJFrJ6dtyxydF0A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODY7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/9139c39f22098c1d020f6a7067008eb7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Elvis, a giant saltwater crocodile swims next to a lawnmower in his pool at the Australian Reptile Park at Gosford, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The 16-foot (5-meter), 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) crocodile lunged out of its lagoon at a park worker tending to the lawn before stealing his lawn mower. (AP Photo/Libby Bain)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Visitors watch as Elvis, a giant saltwater crocodile swims next to a lawnmower in his pool at the Australian Reptile Park at Gosford, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Libby Bain)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>A lawn mower sits on the bottom of a pool next to a 500-kg (1,100-lb) crocodile at the Australian Reptile Park near Sydney in this December 28, 2011 handout. Two workers at a reptile park near Sydney ran for their lives on Wednesday after the crocodile named Elvis suddenly lunged at them, snapping up their lawnmower and losing two teeth. </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Elvis the crocodile attacks a lawnmower at the Australian Reptile Park in Gosford, north of Sydney, in this still image taken from video December 28, 2011. </i></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-23082875430812310582011-12-25T13:43:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:43:46.707+00:00Crocodile kills child on Lake Edward - newvision.co.ug25 December 2011<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A would-be festive Christmas turned tragic for a Kasese district family when one of their children was killed by a crocodile on Lake Edward.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The incident claimed the life of 15-year-old Joshua Tugume of Rwenjubu cell, Katwe town Council. Tugume was a P.3 pupil at Katwe Boarding Primary School.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tugume’s friends, who narrowly escaped, said he was bathing in the lake when the crocodile attacked.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The area chairperson, John Kasingo, said another boy, Tumwine Nanyongo, had gone missing since the incident.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>At the time of his death, Tugume was in the company of Bahati Musimba, Moses Byaruhanga, Bashir Ashrim, and a boy, only, identified as Ashraf.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area acting area manager, Nelson Guma, confirmed the incident.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Our marines have retrieved the body and they are also hunting for the killer animal,” Guma said.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He said they would create barriers around watering points to ensure residents and their livestock access the lake safely.</i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-87070405453823041112011-12-23T14:04:00.000+00:002012-01-14T14:06:17.430+00:00Croc killed Cairns spear fisherman - cairns.com.au23 December 2011<br />
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i>The Northern Coroner's Office has confirmed the fatal injuries suffered by Cairns spear fisher David Fordson earlier this month were caused by a "large estuarine crocodile".</i></strong></div>
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<i>The advice prompted warnings for boaties and divers to take extra precautions when visiting coastal Cape York this summer with crocodiles being spotted well offshore and at popular mooring sites.</i></div>
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<i>In a statement, a coroner’s spokesperson said a post-mortem examination had been carried out during which police had sought specialist opinion from experts in crocodile and shark behaviour.</i></div>
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<i>Mr Fordson, 49, was skipper of the cargo barge <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Torres Star</span>servicing the Cairns to Thursday Island route when, ahead of schedule, they stopped to fish at the remote Cairncross Island group.</i></div>
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<i>The alarm was raised when Mr Fordson failed to return to the vessel and his body was found in the early hours of December 6, with injuries initially thought to be from either a crocodile or a shark.</i></div>
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<i>Underwater filmmaker and experienced boatie Ben Cropp has spent many years travelling the Cape York coastline and said he had noticed increasing numbers of crocodiles in the area.</i></div>
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<i>Early summer is mating season for the animals, when the males are wandering further afield and looking for a female.</i></div>
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<i>"On a recent trip we saw a lot of crocodiles and croc tracks all the way down the coast, and crocodiles at every offshore <br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />island we went to," he said.</i></div>
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<i>"We’re talking six or eight miles out … on one little sand cay we saw three crocodiles, with three big tiger sharks in the shallows.</i></div>
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<i>"These look like lovely places to moor but they are actually very, very dangerous, and Bushy Cay (where Mr Fordson was attacked) is only about three miles off the coast so it’s a lot closer to shore."</i></div>
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<i>Mr Cropp said over the past seven years he had frequently seen a 3.5m crocodile lying on the sand at Bushy Cay.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-16320095520613511082011-12-23T13:58:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:59:51.778+00:00Belgian police discover 11 crocodiles, alligator in search of villa - therepublic.com23 December 2011<br />
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<i>BRUSSELS — Police carrying out a search discovered 11 Nile crocodiles — five of them squeezed into a small shower — and an alligator at a house in northern Belgian.</i></div>
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<i>Police were searching the villa of a German man suspected of fraud in the village of Lapscheure Thursday when they came across the reptiles, said Frederik Thoelen, a biologist at the Nature Rescue Center where they are now being kept.</i></div>
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<i>Five of the crocodiles were found squeezed into a small, dirty shower; five others were kept in an aquarium made for only two, Thoelen on Friday. The alligator, meanwhile, was rolled up in several blankets.</i></div>
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<i>"They were really kept in horrible conditions," said Thoelen.</i></div>
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<i>He said the owner told them the crocodiles were about 5 years old, but they were far too small for their age, most likely because of their restrictive caging and insufficient food. Instead of measuring more than two meters (6 feet), the newcomers at the rescue center in Opglabbeek, eastern Belgium, have grown only to a little over one meter (3 feet).</i></div>
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<strong><i>Police were searching the villa of a German man suspected of fraud in the village of Lapscheure Thursday when they came across the reptiles, said Frederik Thoelen, a biologist at the Nature Rescue Center where they are now being kept.</i></strong></div>
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<i>But things are bound to get better for the 12 reptiles, once they get released from the rescue center's intensive care unit.</i></div>
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<i>The owner gave up his rights to the animals once it became clear that he did not have the necessary papers, said Thoelen. "That is very good news because now we can look for a new place for the animals," he said.</i></div>
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<i>An animal shelter in Germany, which has more experience with reptiles, has already expressed some interest, but for the coming weeks, they will stay in Opglabbeek, said Thoelen.</i></div>
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<i>The biologists at the center have already started preparations for new living quarters — water pool and underfloor heating included.</i></div>
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<i>And they will be fed with chicken carcasses from the nearby slaughterhouse.</i></div>
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<i>Thoelen said the animals most likely won't get a special treat for Christmas, because, "they got their biggest present yesterday" when they were rescued.</i></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-43343454950124871712011-12-22T22:06:00.000+00:002012-01-14T14:11:08.237+00:00Snappy Christmas, one and all - qt.com.au22 December 2011<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Seven-year-old Hope Bohan and nine-year-old <br />Sasha Doyle with Santa and a crocodile at the <br />Community Compassion Christmas party at <br />the Ipswich Food Barn.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<i>SOME of Ipswich's most needy children enjoyed a very snappy Christmas when they got up close and personal with a baby crocodile at the Community Compassion Christmas Party in Woodend on Tuesday.</i></div>
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<i>Free food hampers, Christmas presents and a cooked lunch were also on offer as about 400 people packed into the group's hot tin-shed headquarters at Darling St.</i></div>
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<i>Children collected presents and mobbed Santa and his unusual pets as parents enjoyed a moment away from the daily hardship faced by many Ipswich families this Christmas.</i></div>
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<i>The Foodbarn is barely a year old, but you would never know it by the number of people who flock to the centre each week for help.</i></div>
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<i>Centre co-ordinator Kerry McQuaker said the church-run facility had fed more than 1500 Ipswich families in the first year and the numbers showed no sign of slowing.</i></div>
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<i>"The sad thing is that everybody is struggling more financially every day," he said.</i></div>
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<i>"We're still increasing by five to 10 families a day here."</i></div>
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<i>The Foodbarn, also known as the Lion and the Lamb Community Centre, opens daily from 9am to primarily provide food hampers to needy families.</i></div>
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<i>The Christmas party was a way to offer families a little extra joy in what can be a difficult time of year for those reliant on welfare services.</i></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-38791045235958730292011-12-22T13:47:00.000+00:002012-01-14T13:47:48.525+00:00Fluffy the crocodile survives bus runover - philstar.com22 December 2011<br />
<br /><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A veterinarian says a young crocodile named Fluffy is back to her cranky old self after being hit by a bus while duck hunting in a north Australian city.<br /><br />Doug English says the 4 foot, 3 inch (1.3-meter) saltwater crocodile underwent emergency surgery and spent 11 days recovering in the Marlin Coast Veterinary Hospital after the late night accident in a beachside suburb of Cairns.</span></i><div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />English said Thursday that while young crocodiles were often killed by cars on Cairns' roads, Fluffy was the first he knew of to survive such an accident.<br /><br />The crocodile had caught a duck and was headed across the road with it toward a creek when it was hit.<br /><br />Fluffy was so named by vet nurses because she was found with the "fluffy duck" in her jaws.<br /><br /></span></i></div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-40493545787132193292011-12-21T14:17:00.000+00:002012-01-14T14:18:34.261+00:00Crocodile comes off second best after crossing the road to catch a bus - cairns.com.au<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Getting snappy:</strong> Fluffy the crocodile gets a bit anxious after </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>being patched up by vet Doug English at the Marlin Coast </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Vet Surgery before she will be released into the wild. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Picture: TOM LEE</i></span></div>
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21 December 2011<br />
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i>SHE'S all smiles now, but Fluffy the crocodile was in a far more serious state arriving on vet Doug English's operating table 10 days ago.</i></strong></div>
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<i>The 1.3m saltie was found near death by the roadside, clenching a recently caught duck between her sizable jaws after being hit by a bus at Yorkeys Knob.</i></div>
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<i>After noticing the injured reptile about midnight, a local farmer braved the crocodile’s feisty temperament and loaded her in his car.</i></div>
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<i>Dr English had to act quickly to save the croc during an early-morning emergency surgery that lasted almost two hours.</i></div>
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<i>"Its guts were all ruptured and spilling out the side – we had to do the surgery straight away otherwise she would’ve died," he said.</i></div>
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<i>Clinic staff were pleased to see her bite return after the surgery.</i></div>
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<i>"Once she started to get a lot snappier and crankier, we knew she was a lot better," Dr English said.</i></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4774418861241813409.post-64177574868765060052011-12-19T14:21:00.000+00:002012-01-14T14:22:42.581+00:00Nile crocodile is two species, study says - upi.com19 December 2011<br />
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<i>SAN DIEGO, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The Nile crocodile, a species identified by ancient Egyptians, is in fact two distinct species that have been going by the same name, U.S. researchers say.</i></div>
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<i>That's the verdict of genetic analysis using samples taken from species throughout the animal's range, and including DNA from mummified crocodile remains, researchers said.</i></div>
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<i>"This paper provides a remarkable surprise: the Nile crocodile is not a single species, as previously thought, but instead demonstrates two species -- living side-by side -- constitute what has been called the Nile croc," Marlys </i></div>
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<i>Houck, a geneticist with the San Diego Zoo Global's Institute of Conservation Research, said.</i></div>
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<i>"Even more remarkably, they are not each other's closest relatives; one is more closely related to New World crocodilians," Houck said in a release from the Zoological Society of San Diego Monday.</i></div>
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<i>That species, Crocodylus suchus, is declining or has disappeared throughout much of its distribution, researchers say, and without proper recognition of this species current sustainable use-based management policies for the Nile crocodile may do more harm than good.</i></div>
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<i>"The cryptic Crocodylus suchus is a unique entity worthy of a conservation strategy separate from the Nile crocodile populations of East and southern Africa," Houck said.</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>When we reported previously about a hamster being dumped on one of the coldest nights of the year, little did we think someone wouldraise the ante.</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://petside.co.uk/petsideblog/2011/12/16/crocodile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://petside.co.uk/petsideblog/2011/12/16/crocodile.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>But that's just what happened. Jim Wick, the owner of an exotic animal park and pet shop in Wolverhampton named Wickid Pets discovered the crocodile in a big plastic container on his doorstep. "I saw a big, plastic container. I thought it might have been kittens or turtles because we often have animals left outside. I was taken aback when I lifted the lid and looked inside."</i></div>
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<i>He rushed the animal up in his arms and carried her to a reptile vivarium, the staff are now looking after Snappy the Christmas Crocodile who they say is doing well and is none the worse for her experiences.</i></div>
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<i>Mr Wick contacted local police<b> </b>to see if there had been any reports of missing crocodiles or if it had been accidentally taken during a robbery and abandoned by fear struck criminals. He will now help look after her until experts can collect her. </i></div>
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<i>There's been no indication where she came from or by what path she ended up in a plastic container on their doorstep, but Mr Wick says it sadly isn't an unfamiliar story "Some people aren't given the facts when they buy animals like this and they find them too much to cope with. They need specialist care."</i></div>
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