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.
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Friday, 12 September 2008
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."
Thursday, 11 September 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
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.
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.
Monday, 8 September 2008
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.
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.
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.
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