Excavated in Morocco, it was an enormous beast, with head size of probably 6 feet
By Stephanie Pappas
7 November 2011
LAS VEGAS — A newly described species of ancient crocodile with a strange, shield-like skull may have chowed on 13-foot (4-meter) -long fish in Cretaceous-era rivers.
The croc is known by a chunk of skull excavated in Morocco and acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada from a collector. Only now, however, have paleontologists examined the skull and determined that it belonged to a new — and enormous — species.
"It looks like the animal probably had a head size of two meters (6 feet)," said study researcher Casey Holliday, a professor of anatomical sciences at the University of Missouri who analyzed the specimen.
Even more intriguingly, Holliday said, the animal had a shield-like structure on the top of its skull that would have supported skin and blood vessels much like the frills of horned dinosaurs such as triceratops. It's likely that "shieldcroc," as the new fossil is known, would have used this structure for display, Holliday said.
Giant crocodiles
Other specimens of species closely related to shieldcroc have been described, but not since the 1920s, Holliday said. And because those specimens were found by German archaeologists, they ended up getting blown up in the bombings of World War II.
The newly surfaced chunk of crocodile skull reveals that shieldcroc was a member of a group called the eusuchians, a lineage that includes modern crocodiles and alligators. Shieldcroc, which lived about 100 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period, is the first confirmed eusuchian ever found in Africa.
"There's an argument as to where modern crocs really evolved," Holliday said. "This kind of pulls that equation closer to the Europe/Mediterranean region."
Extrapolating from the size of shieldcroc's braincase suggests that the animal grew to lengths of 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 meters), a size that Holliday called "pretty ridiculous." More likely, he said, those proportions are off and shieldcroc was closer to 30 to 36 feet (9 to 11 meters) long.
That's comparable to another ancient African giant, " SuperCroc," or Sarcosuchus imperator, a 40-foot (12 meter) bruiser discovered in Niger.
Shieldcroc's relatively delicate, duck-like jaws were likely not equipped for any ultra-dramatic feats like fighting T. rex, Holliday said. But the crocodile was still pretty fearsome, said study researcher Nick Gardner, an undergraduate at Marshall University in West Virginia. Shieldcroc shared the river with lungfish and ancient fish called Coelacanths that could have grown to be 13 feet (4 m) long. It's very possible that shieldcroc considered these monster fish to be prey, Gardner told LiveScience.
"These (fish) are big," Gardner said. "They're not pushovers."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45193564/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TrhKmHK0Nic
Showing posts with label crocodiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crocodiles. Show all posts
Monday, November 7, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Bangkok Floods: Thais Defy Crocodile Warning
Residents of Bangkok's northern suburbs have been reluctant to leave their flood-hit homes despite the risks to their safety.
People in Luangphukhao have seen their homes inundated by floodwaters over the weekend but have chosen to stay.
They have been wading to the local store to buy supplies and ferrying small children around on makeshift rafts.
One man cleared debris from around his house while seated in a floating bathtub.
The water is stagnant and murky and authorities are warning it could harbour escapees from crocodile farms that operate on Bangkok's outskirts.
"Of course I'm worried about the crocodiles," said one man as he pulled his son along on a foam mattress through waist-deep water. "What we have to do is remember to tell others if we see one."
Local resident Napaporn Chainiwat said: "I'm scared of crocodiles... so if I hear of any in this area, I'll leave."
The nearby Laksi Temple is also partially submerged but Saffron-robed Buddhist monks are floating around in small boats.
Sandbag walls protect the temple's most valuable Buddhist artefacts.
Its main hall is on higher ground and the monks have taken in 500 evacuees, including three water buffalo and several pet dogs.
Volunteers provide hot meals of rice porridge and vegetables and the Thai military has pitched in with free haircuts for flood refugees.
But life in an evacuation camp is boring and crowded, and because the flood waters may take several weeks to recede there is little prospect of going home.
The Thai government now says 80% of Bangkok may escape inundation, but that is little comfort for those who have already lost their homes.
"I'm glad that many people won't be flooded," said Nongkran Phonjanpreuk, who has been camped out in the temple for two weeks with her young granddaughter.
"But that's what the government said to me and now my home is under water."
Elsewhere, tensions erupted when angry residents scuffled with security forces as they tried to force open a floodgate to stop their homes being ruined.
The clash at the Klong Sam Wa floodgate showed the rising anger in some neighbourhoods that have been sacrificed to keep Bangkok's central business district and historic heart dry.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bangkok-residents-defy-crocodile-warning-063528253.html
People in Luangphukhao have seen their homes inundated by floodwaters over the weekend but have chosen to stay.
They have been wading to the local store to buy supplies and ferrying small children around on makeshift rafts.
One man cleared debris from around his house while seated in a floating bathtub.
The water is stagnant and murky and authorities are warning it could harbour escapees from crocodile farms that operate on Bangkok's outskirts.
"Of course I'm worried about the crocodiles," said one man as he pulled his son along on a foam mattress through waist-deep water. "What we have to do is remember to tell others if we see one."
Local resident Napaporn Chainiwat said: "I'm scared of crocodiles... so if I hear of any in this area, I'll leave."
The nearby Laksi Temple is also partially submerged but Saffron-robed Buddhist monks are floating around in small boats.
Sandbag walls protect the temple's most valuable Buddhist artefacts.
Its main hall is on higher ground and the monks have taken in 500 evacuees, including three water buffalo and several pet dogs.
Volunteers provide hot meals of rice porridge and vegetables and the Thai military has pitched in with free haircuts for flood refugees.
But life in an evacuation camp is boring and crowded, and because the flood waters may take several weeks to recede there is little prospect of going home.
The Thai government now says 80% of Bangkok may escape inundation, but that is little comfort for those who have already lost their homes.
"I'm glad that many people won't be flooded," said Nongkran Phonjanpreuk, who has been camped out in the temple for two weeks with her young granddaughter.
"But that's what the government said to me and now my home is under water."
Elsewhere, tensions erupted when angry residents scuffled with security forces as they tried to force open a floodgate to stop their homes being ruined.
The clash at the Klong Sam Wa floodgate showed the rising anger in some neighbourhoods that have been sacrificed to keep Bangkok's central business district and historic heart dry.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bangkok-residents-defy-crocodile-warning-063528253.html
Monday, October 17, 2011
On the trail of the crocs
THERE is an uneasy co-existence bordering on a love-hate relationship between crocodiles and the people, especially the Ibans, that stems from the belief that the reptile is the reincarnation of their mythical hero.
According to Iban legend, a powerful warrior named Bujang Senang from Saribas was born anew in the body of a crocodile after he died in battle some 200 years ago.
It is said when buried in the bank of the Saribas River, he transformed into a huge white crocodile that, according to native folklore, still rules the river basin today.
Bujang Senang had vowed to seek revenge on his enemies and their descendants in his reptilian form. Some people still believe that accounted for the periodic crocodile attacks in the Saribas area.
Generally, those living by crocodile-infested rivers believe there is some kind of truce between crocodiles and humans that keeps them from harming each other. Alas, this truce has been broken from time to time by both sides although the poor croc usually got a bad press when it attacked people while humans killing crocodiles hardly made a ripple in the news.
Bujang Senang is a relatively recent legend since crocodiles have been in existence for 60 million years. So the reptiles have been around well before Bujang Senang, the warrior, was born but the crocodylidae species may not be around for long if nothing is done to conserve them.
An effort towards this end is the International Crocodile Convention (ICC) to be held in Sarawak on Oct 19 and 20 when experts from East Asia (Australasian countries and Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) will share information on crocodile conservation and human-crocodile conflicts.
The ICC will also assess conservation made by Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei and consider any proposal to downlist salt water crocodiles from Appendix I to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for wild fauna and flora (CITES).
Animals listed in Appendix I are totally protected from hunting as they are considered in danger of becoming extinct while Appendix II listing allows for quota-controlled hunting and trading of the animals so listed.
The ICC will come up with recommendations on crocodile distribution, habitats and risks on humans for East Asia- Australasian region with special focus on Borneo. It also will provide a avenue for capacity-building by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) staff on crocodile conservation, research and human–crocodile conflict management, and enhance conservation and research programmes with renowned institutions worldwide.
The main speakers are crocodile technical experts in East Asia- Australasia region, CSG and the International Union for Conservation of Nature — Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC).
The ICC is organised and sponsored by the SFC in collaboration with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
Read on...
According to Iban legend, a powerful warrior named Bujang Senang from Saribas was born anew in the body of a crocodile after he died in battle some 200 years ago.
It is said when buried in the bank of the Saribas River, he transformed into a huge white crocodile that, according to native folklore, still rules the river basin today.
Bujang Senang had vowed to seek revenge on his enemies and their descendants in his reptilian form. Some people still believe that accounted for the periodic crocodile attacks in the Saribas area.
Generally, those living by crocodile-infested rivers believe there is some kind of truce between crocodiles and humans that keeps them from harming each other. Alas, this truce has been broken from time to time by both sides although the poor croc usually got a bad press when it attacked people while humans killing crocodiles hardly made a ripple in the news.
Bujang Senang is a relatively recent legend since crocodiles have been in existence for 60 million years. So the reptiles have been around well before Bujang Senang, the warrior, was born but the crocodylidae species may not be around for long if nothing is done to conserve them.
An effort towards this end is the International Crocodile Convention (ICC) to be held in Sarawak on Oct 19 and 20 when experts from East Asia (Australasian countries and Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) will share information on crocodile conservation and human-crocodile conflicts.
The ICC will also assess conservation made by Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei and consider any proposal to downlist salt water crocodiles from Appendix I to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for wild fauna and flora (CITES).
Animals listed in Appendix I are totally protected from hunting as they are considered in danger of becoming extinct while Appendix II listing allows for quota-controlled hunting and trading of the animals so listed.
The ICC will come up with recommendations on crocodile distribution, habitats and risks on humans for East Asia- Australasian region with special focus on Borneo. It also will provide a avenue for capacity-building by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) staff on crocodile conservation, research and human–crocodile conflict management, and enhance conservation and research programmes with renowned institutions worldwide.
The main speakers are crocodile technical experts in East Asia- Australasia region, CSG and the International Union for Conservation of Nature — Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC).
The ICC is organised and sponsored by the SFC in collaboration with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
Read on...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Anger over shot croc
A MUCH-LOVED giant crocodile has been killed - shot between the eyes at close range in Arnhem Land.
The 5.1m "boss croc" - known as the Black Crocodile - was "of high cultural importance", elder Goldie Blyth said.
Its home for at least 40 years was in and around the Murrkan, Murgenella and Wark billabongs on the Coburg Peninsula north-east of Darwin.
Ms Blyth said "this latest victim of new-age technology, avarice and intolerance" appears to have been "murdered" from the Murgenella Creek Crossing last Sunday.
The croc was found floating two days later.
He (once) came up with a large barramundi, he threw the large fish around in his mouth as if to say, 'I got this barramundi' - waving it to us and showing us his catch; he then ate it front of us. It was a very special moment," Ms Blyth said.
"The crocodile's death is a very sad and a significant loss to traditional owners and the wider community.
"Cultural respects were paid on each visit to the site and the resident boss crocodile would seem to respond in kind, by showing itself and then swimming off to tend to its business. Traditional owners would regularly talk to the large crocodile.
"People had an enormous respect for the animal and the relationship goes back well over 40 years.
"On some occasions, people would talk to the crocodile before fishing or entering the water to hunt file snakes."
Ms Blyth called for signs to prevent stopping at the creek by "hoon shooting individuals". She has also called for Parks and Wildlife rangers to be reinstated at Murgenella - and wants the the culprit prosecuted.
Ms Blyth last visited the croc about three weeks ago.
"In recent times, the Black Crocodile did not like the sound of quad bikes and appeared to be agitated when he heard their sound," she said. "The crocodile was well-known to the old people and his killing is a loss of an important link to past generations that have passed on.
"The crocodile was always present or in close proximity to the crossing and was well known to both locals and some visitors."
Anyone with information about the shooting of the crocodile should contact Parks and Wildlife.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/08/21/255011_ntnews.html
The 5.1m "boss croc" - known as the Black Crocodile - was "of high cultural importance", elder Goldie Blyth said.
Its home for at least 40 years was in and around the Murrkan, Murgenella and Wark billabongs on the Coburg Peninsula north-east of Darwin.
Ms Blyth said "this latest victim of new-age technology, avarice and intolerance" appears to have been "murdered" from the Murgenella Creek Crossing last Sunday.
The croc was found floating two days later.
He (once) came up with a large barramundi, he threw the large fish around in his mouth as if to say, 'I got this barramundi' - waving it to us and showing us his catch; he then ate it front of us. It was a very special moment," Ms Blyth said.
"The crocodile's death is a very sad and a significant loss to traditional owners and the wider community.
"Cultural respects were paid on each visit to the site and the resident boss crocodile would seem to respond in kind, by showing itself and then swimming off to tend to its business. Traditional owners would regularly talk to the large crocodile.
"People had an enormous respect for the animal and the relationship goes back well over 40 years.
"On some occasions, people would talk to the crocodile before fishing or entering the water to hunt file snakes."
Ms Blyth called for signs to prevent stopping at the creek by "hoon shooting individuals". She has also called for Parks and Wildlife rangers to be reinstated at Murgenella - and wants the the culprit prosecuted.
Ms Blyth last visited the croc about three weeks ago.
"In recent times, the Black Crocodile did not like the sound of quad bikes and appeared to be agitated when he heard their sound," she said. "The crocodile was well-known to the old people and his killing is a loss of an important link to past generations that have passed on.
"The crocodile was always present or in close proximity to the crossing and was well known to both locals and some visitors."
Anyone with information about the shooting of the crocodile should contact Parks and Wildlife.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/08/21/255011_ntnews.html
NT abused and forgot Cassius the Crocodile, now they want him back
ABUSED and forgotten – that is how the Northern Territory treated the mighty Cassius. And now all of a sudden, they want him back. Forget about it buddies!
Cassius the 5.48m saltwater crocodile, who now happily resides at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, has officially been recognised as being the largest crocodile in captivity.
He will appear in the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records, which will be published in Australia on September 15.
The massive croc has lived in luxury on the resort island for close to 24 years, growing larger each day from a healthy diet of fresh chickens and fish.
However, after reading about the Cairns zoo`s accolade, green-eyed Territorians are now trying to claim Cassius as their own.
Cassius was captured south of Darwin in 1987, and brought about 32000km from the NT to Green Island by kind-hearted Marineland founder George Craig.
"If we can claim sportsmen who spend the first few seconds of their life in the NT, we can put the stamp on Cassius,'' Crocosaurus Cove croc manager Nigel Palmer told the NT News.
Mr Palmer went as far as calling for the NT to buy the croc back.
It's a stunning backflip, according to Marineland Melanesia keeper Toody Scott, who claimed Cassius had been rejected by Territorians, after he was placed in a croc farm - to the point locals allegedly threw stones at the giant reptile.
"They had him hidden away for four years, in a croc farm and the locals apparently didn't take much of a liking to him, because of his reputation,'' Mr Scott said.
"They didn't want him hanging around.
"The farmer at the time, gave George a call and thought George would be able to offer a better home for him in Queensland.''
The Cairns Post and The NT News are going snout-to-snout to determine which region has the biggest, best and baddest crocodiles in Australia.
Readers will be able to compare the best croc tales from the Far North and the Northern Territory, and vote for which region they think is top of the crocs.
Mr Scott said it was plain to see from online comments so far that the Far North Queenslanders had far more respect for nature's magnificent predators.
"All you need to do is look at the comments from the Territorians talking about shooting them and killing them - it's like they don't even want crocs up there,'' he said.
To vote in the FNQ vs NT Croc-Off, head to http://www.cairns.com.au/crocoff
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/08/23/179171_crocoff.html
Cassius the 5.48m saltwater crocodile, who now happily resides at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, has officially been recognised as being the largest crocodile in captivity.
He will appear in the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records, which will be published in Australia on September 15.
The massive croc has lived in luxury on the resort island for close to 24 years, growing larger each day from a healthy diet of fresh chickens and fish.
However, after reading about the Cairns zoo`s accolade, green-eyed Territorians are now trying to claim Cassius as their own.
Cassius was captured south of Darwin in 1987, and brought about 32000km from the NT to Green Island by kind-hearted Marineland founder George Craig.
"If we can claim sportsmen who spend the first few seconds of their life in the NT, we can put the stamp on Cassius,'' Crocosaurus Cove croc manager Nigel Palmer told the NT News.
Mr Palmer went as far as calling for the NT to buy the croc back.
It's a stunning backflip, according to Marineland Melanesia keeper Toody Scott, who claimed Cassius had been rejected by Territorians, after he was placed in a croc farm - to the point locals allegedly threw stones at the giant reptile.
"They had him hidden away for four years, in a croc farm and the locals apparently didn't take much of a liking to him, because of his reputation,'' Mr Scott said.
"They didn't want him hanging around.
"The farmer at the time, gave George a call and thought George would be able to offer a better home for him in Queensland.''
The Cairns Post and The NT News are going snout-to-snout to determine which region has the biggest, best and baddest crocodiles in Australia.
Readers will be able to compare the best croc tales from the Far North and the Northern Territory, and vote for which region they think is top of the crocs.
Mr Scott said it was plain to see from online comments so far that the Far North Queenslanders had far more respect for nature's magnificent predators.
"All you need to do is look at the comments from the Territorians talking about shooting them and killing them - it's like they don't even want crocs up there,'' he said.
To vote in the FNQ vs NT Croc-Off, head to http://www.cairns.com.au/crocoff
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/08/23/179171_crocoff.html
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Twenty rare Siamese crocodiles hatch in zoo
One of the world's rarest crocodiles is clawing its way back from extinction in the wild, with the hatching of 20 eggs in Laos.
The eggs of the Siamese crocodiles were found floating on a bed of reeds in a lake in southern Laos in June, and were brought to the zoo for protection.
Katherine Smith reports.
Footage of crocodiles in incubator courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society. See video here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14681662
The eggs of the Siamese crocodiles were found floating on a bed of reeds in a lake in southern Laos in June, and were brought to the zoo for protection.
Katherine Smith reports.
Footage of crocodiles in incubator courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society. See video here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14681662
Friday, August 19, 2011
WARNING NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED: Tourist attraction where ghoulish Britons pay to throw LIVE chickens to be ripped apart by crocs
A BLOODTHIRSTY British tourist grins with glee as he prepares to hurl a live chicken to hungry crocodiles – and then gets a kick seeing it being ripped to pieces.
The sickeningly cruel “entertainment”, condemned by animal rights groups, is on offer at Siem Reap Crocodile Farm in Cambodia, South-East Asia.
The 21-year-old backpacker from Sheffield, who was at the farm with a pal, had queued up to buy the bird before hurling it to its death.
He then whooped with delight and yelled: “Did you see that big crocodile storm over? He wasn’t messing about – he ripped it apart. One of the legs is still lying there!”
He told our undercover reporter: “That’s what I love about Cambodia. You couldn’t do this back at home.”
Our investigation found that dozens of ghoulish Britons queue up to fling live birds at the crocs on the farm, a few miles from one of Cambodia’s biggest tourist sites, Angkor Wat temple.
Ashley Fruno, a senior campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, urged holidaymakers to boycott the site. “Even China has banned live feeding,” she said. “Cambodia needs
to take the same step.
"We are also concerned by the conditions at the farms and the suffering crocodiles endure.”
Adrian Butler
Sunday Mirror
If you can stomach the pictures:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/08/14/tourist-attraction-where-ghoulish-britons-pay-to-throw-live-chickens-to-be-ripped-apart-by-crocs-115875-23342335/
The sickeningly cruel “entertainment”, condemned by animal rights groups, is on offer at Siem Reap Crocodile Farm in Cambodia, South-East Asia.
The 21-year-old backpacker from Sheffield, who was at the farm with a pal, had queued up to buy the bird before hurling it to its death.
He then whooped with delight and yelled: “Did you see that big crocodile storm over? He wasn’t messing about – he ripped it apart. One of the legs is still lying there!”
He told our undercover reporter: “That’s what I love about Cambodia. You couldn’t do this back at home.”
Our investigation found that dozens of ghoulish Britons queue up to fling live birds at the crocs on the farm, a few miles from one of Cambodia’s biggest tourist sites, Angkor Wat temple.
Ashley Fruno, a senior campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, urged holidaymakers to boycott the site. “Even China has banned live feeding,” she said. “Cambodia needs
to take the same step.
"We are also concerned by the conditions at the farms and the suffering crocodiles endure.”
Adrian Butler
Sunday Mirror
If you can stomach the pictures:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/08/14/tourist-attraction-where-ghoulish-britons-pay-to-throw-live-chickens-to-be-ripped-apart-by-crocs-115875-23342335/
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Crocodiles in bedroom shock police team
London, June 8 : A team of policemen on a routine visit to a suburban home in south London had the shock of their life when they found four crocodiles in a bedroom.
The officers had visited the semi-detached house on an unrelated matter but made the surprise discovery of the reptiles in a bedroom, Daily Mail reported.
The West African dwarf crocodiles were crammed into makeshift tanks in the spare bedroom of the house in Waddon, Croydon, South London.
The largest of the reptiles, measuring over four feet, was in such a bad condition that it died soon after being transferred. The other three smaller female crocodiles were found in cramped and dirty pond liners.
The police called council licensing officers, who came to seize the crocodiles.
Rob Quest, manager of the London Animal Health Service, said he was shocked to discover it was rescuing crocodiles.
He said: "We were very surprised to get the phone call and to discover there were West African Dwarf Crocodiles.
"We are usually called in to collect venomous snakes."
The animals have since been transferred to Birdworld in Surrey where they are being fed on white mice and are happily sharing a large pond with terrapin turtles.
The owner of the protected animals did not have a licence for them and is expected to be charged with four counts under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and faces a substantial fine.
--IANS
http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-3234.html
The officers had visited the semi-detached house on an unrelated matter but made the surprise discovery of the reptiles in a bedroom, Daily Mail reported.
The West African dwarf crocodiles were crammed into makeshift tanks in the spare bedroom of the house in Waddon, Croydon, South London.
The largest of the reptiles, measuring over four feet, was in such a bad condition that it died soon after being transferred. The other three smaller female crocodiles were found in cramped and dirty pond liners.
The police called council licensing officers, who came to seize the crocodiles.
Rob Quest, manager of the London Animal Health Service, said he was shocked to discover it was rescuing crocodiles.
He said: "We were very surprised to get the phone call and to discover there were West African Dwarf Crocodiles.
"We are usually called in to collect venomous snakes."
The animals have since been transferred to Birdworld in Surrey where they are being fed on white mice and are happily sharing a large pond with terrapin turtles.
The owner of the protected animals did not have a licence for them and is expected to be charged with four counts under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and faces a substantial fine.
--IANS
http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-3234.html
Monday, June 6, 2011
Did you get some good holiday snaps? Hunt is on for two alligators spotted lurking in fishing lake - in NORFOLK
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:43 PM on 4th June 2011
A holidaymaker claims to have spotted two alligators lurking in a lake - in East Anglia.
He called the police after catching sight of the reptiles in the water at a holiday park in Wortwell, Norfolk.
Police confirmed they are investigating the sighting but despite scouring the park, neither creature has been found.
Visitors to the 60-acre Waveney Valley Lakes are keeping their eyes peeled for the pair - and are giving the fishing lakes a wide berth.
Park manager Dave Potter, 58, told The Sun: 'It has caused quite a stir.
'We have 90 plots for caravans and lodges, so there are a lot of people here.
'The police had a good look around but didn't find anything.'
Norfolk Police confirmed a member of the public called to report he had seen the alligators and officers informed the park's owners.
Alligator expert Dr Laura Brandt said it was possible the alligators had been released or found their way to the water.
She warned: 'They will eat anything that moves.'
Native to the U.S. and China, the alligator is notorious for its bone-crushing bites and has existed for 200million years.
A large American alligator can weigh 800 pounds and can grow to more than 13 feet long. Their average lifespan is 50 years.
The park's website said the lakes at Waveney - about 15 miles south of Norwich - were excavated in 1942 to provide the materials for the construction of many local airfields for the Allied Air Forces war effort.
The fishery originated in the 1960s when thousands of carp, tench and bream were introduced to the lakes. It now attracts anglers from miles around.
The website states the park is a 'natural haven for wildlife' including kingfishers, herons, grebes and three species of bats.
Meanwhile, police shot a concrete lawn ornament in the shape of an alligator in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, this week after thinking it was real.
The drama began when a neighbour who had not seen the fake alligator before called 911 to report that his children had spotted it while playing in some nearby woods.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393797/Alligators-spotted-Norfolk-Did-good-holiday-snaps.html
Last updated at 12:43 PM on 4th June 2011
A holidaymaker claims to have spotted two alligators lurking in a lake - in East Anglia.
He called the police after catching sight of the reptiles in the water at a holiday park in Wortwell, Norfolk.
Police confirmed they are investigating the sighting but despite scouring the park, neither creature has been found.
Visitors to the 60-acre Waveney Valley Lakes are keeping their eyes peeled for the pair - and are giving the fishing lakes a wide berth.
Park manager Dave Potter, 58, told The Sun: 'It has caused quite a stir.
'We have 90 plots for caravans and lodges, so there are a lot of people here.
'The police had a good look around but didn't find anything.'
Norfolk Police confirmed a member of the public called to report he had seen the alligators and officers informed the park's owners.
Alligator expert Dr Laura Brandt said it was possible the alligators had been released or found their way to the water.
She warned: 'They will eat anything that moves.'
Native to the U.S. and China, the alligator is notorious for its bone-crushing bites and has existed for 200million years.
A large American alligator can weigh 800 pounds and can grow to more than 13 feet long. Their average lifespan is 50 years.
The park's website said the lakes at Waveney - about 15 miles south of Norwich - were excavated in 1942 to provide the materials for the construction of many local airfields for the Allied Air Forces war effort.
The fishery originated in the 1960s when thousands of carp, tench and bream were introduced to the lakes. It now attracts anglers from miles around.
The website states the park is a 'natural haven for wildlife' including kingfishers, herons, grebes and three species of bats.
Meanwhile, police shot a concrete lawn ornament in the shape of an alligator in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, this week after thinking it was real.
The drama began when a neighbour who had not seen the fake alligator before called 911 to report that his children had spotted it while playing in some nearby woods.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393797/Alligators-spotted-Norfolk-Did-good-holiday-snaps.html
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Kansas Police Open Fire At Lawn Ornament, Mistaking It For An Alligator
First Posted: 06/ 2/11 01:53 PM ET
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Police responding to a rare alligator sighting in suburban Kansas City took quick action to dispatch of the beast, shooting it in the head, as instructed, while it lurked menacingly in the weeds leading down to a pond.
It wasn't until a second rifle shot bounced off the reptile's head that the officers realized they had mortally wounded a concrete lawn ornament.
A resident of a subdivision near the pond called police Saturday evening to report that his children spotted the alligator while they were playing in some nearby woods.
After consulting a conservation agent, who told them to kill the gator if they felt it posed a danger, one of the officers shot it twice in the head before realizing something was up, said Tom Gentry, an Independence police spokesman.
"It didn't move," Gentry said. "They inched up closer and closer and discovered it was a mock-up of a real alligator made to look like it was real."
In the officers' defense, it was growing dark when they shot the fake gator and it was partially submerged in the weeds.
The property owner told police that the gator was meant to keep people off his property, Gentry said. Officers told him a no-trespassing sign would have been wiser.
"Now he'll have to patch up his alligator," Gentry said.
Conservation agent Derek Cole said the department has received calls in the past about alligators that had been set free in populated areas, so there was no reason to believe the Saturday sighting wasn't valid.
"The department doesn't get involved in something like that," Cole said. "They asked if they could go ahead and dispatch it if it was a danger, and I said there's a kill shot on alligators, a small kill shot on the head. I said if they can get a shot like that, go ahead."
http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/06/02/kansas-city-police-alligator_n_870428.html
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Police responding to a rare alligator sighting in suburban Kansas City took quick action to dispatch of the beast, shooting it in the head, as instructed, while it lurked menacingly in the weeds leading down to a pond.
It wasn't until a second rifle shot bounced off the reptile's head that the officers realized they had mortally wounded a concrete lawn ornament.
A resident of a subdivision near the pond called police Saturday evening to report that his children spotted the alligator while they were playing in some nearby woods.
After consulting a conservation agent, who told them to kill the gator if they felt it posed a danger, one of the officers shot it twice in the head before realizing something was up, said Tom Gentry, an Independence police spokesman.
"It didn't move," Gentry said. "They inched up closer and closer and discovered it was a mock-up of a real alligator made to look like it was real."
In the officers' defense, it was growing dark when they shot the fake gator and it was partially submerged in the weeds.
The property owner told police that the gator was meant to keep people off his property, Gentry said. Officers told him a no-trespassing sign would have been wiser.
"Now he'll have to patch up his alligator," Gentry said.
Conservation agent Derek Cole said the department has received calls in the past about alligators that had been set free in populated areas, so there was no reason to believe the Saturday sighting wasn't valid.
"The department doesn't get involved in something like that," Cole said. "They asked if they could go ahead and dispatch it if it was a danger, and I said there's a kill shot on alligators, a small kill shot on the head. I said if they can get a shot like that, go ahead."
http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/06/02/kansas-city-police-alligator_n_870428.html
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Rare croc lays dozens of eggs at St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Fertile ones will hatch in a few months; fewer than 1,000 exist now.
Posted: April 15, 2011 - 12:00am
By Marcia Lane
St. Augustine Record
ST. AUGUSTINE - Officials at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park know just how those women feel who deliver babies all the while protesting they weren't even aware they were expecting.
"We didn't know she was pregnant," said John Brueggen, director of the popular tourist exhibit.
"She" is a 15-year-old gharial crocodilian named Karma, an India native who on Thursday presented the zoological park with a clutch of 41 eggs. Those eggs are the first since a group of juvenile gharials was brought into the United States about 15 years ago in an effort to help preserve the critically endangered species. There are fewer than 1,000 in the world.
The eggs count as "a very big deal," Brueggen said.
Keepers found 30 eggs in the pond that's part of an exhibit housing two females and one male gharial, a species losing its habitat and lives to habitat destruction and over-fishing. As the day progressed, Karma laid another 11 in the pond.
Normally the mother would have dug a hole in a sandbank in which to lay her eggs; the pond delivery was her way of telling the staff they hadn't provided a good place for her to give birth.
"We thought we had years," Brueggen said of the gharials, who at 15 are still considered juveniles.
Normally when the male is sexually mature a large node grows on the tip of its long narrow snout. That node is known as a ghara, and the source of the animal's name. The male at the Alligator Farm has developed a small ghara, but nothing like that found on gharials in the wild.
Then those eggs appeared. Keepers rescued the eggs from the water. If they had left them, water would have seeped inside drowning the embryo. The thick mucus around each egg protected them.
Jen Walkowich, a reptile keeper at the facility, cleaned off the eggs, measured them and marked them with a pencil. From there they were put in plastic containers filled with a vermiculite mix (yes, like the stuff used in gardening).
"It keeps the moisture. You need close to 100 percent humidity," Brueggen said.
One of the eggs was broken during the transfers from outside to inside.
The remaining eggs are now divided among three incubators in order to eliminate the risk of mechanical failure. The gharials are temperature dependent for sex determination, and the incubators are set at 89 to 92 degrees.
Within a few days, park officials should know which of the eggs are fertile.
The clue will be a dark band that develops around the egg. After that happens the eggs can't be turned since the young develop from the top down and turning could kill them.
"Once we know they're fertile, everything is in our hands," Brueggen said.
In about two months the gharials should hatch, and then the Alligator Farm can start handing out the cigars.
Protecting the species
Fifteen years ago the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park joined with others to help the Indian gharial.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the number of gharials has declined 96 to 98 percent since 1946. In the 1970s the gharial was considered on the brink of extinction and is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
It's estimated the wild population is now down to several hundred and the total population including captive animals is less than 1,000.
These days 15 of the animals are in six institutions in the United States.
"We knew we had to start breeding some sort of as an insurance colony," said Brueggen. "They're a very rare species in the wild."
The facility's three gharials - Raj, Karma and Sutra - came to the facility 15 years ago as young animals only a couple of feet long.
These days they're 11 feet plus in length. Raj is one of only three males in the United States.
"What's endangering [the species] the most is mostly habitat destruction, polluted rivers, over fishing and, oddly enough, the mafia in India. They steal sand for construction purposes. The animals need pristine sand beaches along the river to lay their eggs," Brueggen said.
Unlike alligators that mound their nests out of vegetation and lay their eggs, the gharials are like sea turtles and dig holes in the sand in which to lay their eggs. They don't lay where the sand is disturbed.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-04-15/story/rare-croc-lays-dozens-eggs-st-augustine-alligator-farm
Posted: April 15, 2011 - 12:00am
By Marcia Lane
St. Augustine Record
ST. AUGUSTINE - Officials at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park know just how those women feel who deliver babies all the while protesting they weren't even aware they were expecting.
"We didn't know she was pregnant," said John Brueggen, director of the popular tourist exhibit.
"She" is a 15-year-old gharial crocodilian named Karma, an India native who on Thursday presented the zoological park with a clutch of 41 eggs. Those eggs are the first since a group of juvenile gharials was brought into the United States about 15 years ago in an effort to help preserve the critically endangered species. There are fewer than 1,000 in the world.
The eggs count as "a very big deal," Brueggen said.
Keepers found 30 eggs in the pond that's part of an exhibit housing two females and one male gharial, a species losing its habitat and lives to habitat destruction and over-fishing. As the day progressed, Karma laid another 11 in the pond.
Normally the mother would have dug a hole in a sandbank in which to lay her eggs; the pond delivery was her way of telling the staff they hadn't provided a good place for her to give birth.
"We thought we had years," Brueggen said of the gharials, who at 15 are still considered juveniles.
Normally when the male is sexually mature a large node grows on the tip of its long narrow snout. That node is known as a ghara, and the source of the animal's name. The male at the Alligator Farm has developed a small ghara, but nothing like that found on gharials in the wild.
Then those eggs appeared. Keepers rescued the eggs from the water. If they had left them, water would have seeped inside drowning the embryo. The thick mucus around each egg protected them.
Jen Walkowich, a reptile keeper at the facility, cleaned off the eggs, measured them and marked them with a pencil. From there they were put in plastic containers filled with a vermiculite mix (yes, like the stuff used in gardening).
"It keeps the moisture. You need close to 100 percent humidity," Brueggen said.
One of the eggs was broken during the transfers from outside to inside.
The remaining eggs are now divided among three incubators in order to eliminate the risk of mechanical failure. The gharials are temperature dependent for sex determination, and the incubators are set at 89 to 92 degrees.
Within a few days, park officials should know which of the eggs are fertile.
The clue will be a dark band that develops around the egg. After that happens the eggs can't be turned since the young develop from the top down and turning could kill them.
"Once we know they're fertile, everything is in our hands," Brueggen said.
In about two months the gharials should hatch, and then the Alligator Farm can start handing out the cigars.
Protecting the species
Fifteen years ago the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park joined with others to help the Indian gharial.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the number of gharials has declined 96 to 98 percent since 1946. In the 1970s the gharial was considered on the brink of extinction and is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
It's estimated the wild population is now down to several hundred and the total population including captive animals is less than 1,000.
These days 15 of the animals are in six institutions in the United States.
"We knew we had to start breeding some sort of as an insurance colony," said Brueggen. "They're a very rare species in the wild."
The facility's three gharials - Raj, Karma and Sutra - came to the facility 15 years ago as young animals only a couple of feet long.
These days they're 11 feet plus in length. Raj is one of only three males in the United States.
"What's endangering [the species] the most is mostly habitat destruction, polluted rivers, over fishing and, oddly enough, the mafia in India. They steal sand for construction purposes. The animals need pristine sand beaches along the river to lay their eggs," Brueggen said.
Unlike alligators that mound their nests out of vegetation and lay their eggs, the gharials are like sea turtles and dig holes in the sand in which to lay their eggs. They don't lay where the sand is disturbed.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-04-15/story/rare-croc-lays-dozens-eggs-st-augustine-alligator-farm
Sunday, April 3, 2011
'Extinct' Siamese crocodiles lay first eggs in Cambodia (Via HerpDigest)
'Extinct' Siamese crocodiles lay first eggs in Cambodia - Success for new captive breeding programme
3/31/11- Cambodia's critically endangered Siamese crocodile has taken a step back from the brink of extinction after a captive breeding pair in Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre built a nest and laid their first eggs.
Previously Cambodia was home to two crocodile species. The salt water crocodile is now believed to have vanished from the country, while the Siamese crocodile, long thought to also be extinct, was rediscovered a decade ago in the Cardamom Mountains by a team from Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the Forestry Administration of Cambodia.
The Siamese crocodile has long been prized for its skin, and over-hunting has caused numbers to decline drastically. Estimates currently put the total wild population at fewer than 250.
Development of hydroelectric dams in current crocodile habitats look likely to create further threats for this species, leading conservationists to attempt a captive conservation breeding programme.
Crocodiles are 15 years old before they breed
Crocodiles, unlike many reptiles, build a nest which the female guards throughout the incubation period. Generally, it takes a Siamese crocodile up to 15 years of age before it is sexually mature and able to breed. Keepers at the facility first noticed breeding activity in December last year.
Then in the middle of last month, the female gathering nesting material. Biologists have quickly examined the top layer of the nest, confirming there were at least 12 eggs; there is likely to be double this number.
'This is great news,' said Adam Starr, FFI's Project Manager of the Cambodia Crocodile Conservation Project. 'If we can successfully breed Siamese crocodiles in captivity and release the young in to the wild once they are large enough to be safe from predators it gives the species a fighting chance.'
The captive breeding facility at Phnom Tamao was only opened in September last year. Director of the rescue centre Nhek Ratnapich said: 'This is the first nest in the new facility and this shows that the crocodiles find it satisfactory.'
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Alligator reportedly sighted in Adair County
 |
| This photo, provided by the Adair County Sheriff's Office, shows what is reported to be an alligator seen in Adair County near Watts. Courtesy |
Published: 3/26/2011 2:26 PM
Last Modified: 3/26/2011 3:13 PM
WATTS — Adair County law enforcement officers and state game wardens believe the reported sighting of an alligator in a muddy stream near Watts may have some teeth and not be an outrageous fish tale.
Believed to be an alligator because of the fresh water surroundings, the gator has been spotted in a muddy oxbow near Ballard Creek, just off the Illinois River, near Watts. The stream is not used for boating or canoeing or any other recreational uses, said Chris Reese, who saw the alligator on March 18.
“I was driving down the road — daydreaming when I noticed a bunch of turtles on a log,” Reese said. “One of the turtles was beaten up pretty bad — then I saw a gator on the bank.”
When the 27-year-old Army veteran took a second look, the four- to five-foot long reptile scurried into the muddy stream. Reese said he and two other men were about 100 feet away from alligator.
“We all just looked at each other in disbelief,” Reese said.
Reese tried to get a photo with his cell phone of the alligator, but missed the shot. The men later returned to the area later that day and saw the alligator for a second time, he said.
Pretty soon word spread throughout the tiny town of over 300 about the alligator. A friend of Reese’s family also saw the alligator and was able to take a photograph, which was provided to law enforcement. The woman asked not to be identified and has declined to be interviewed.
While there is an alligator population in McCurtain County in the southeast corner of the state, it’s rare to ever see an alligator in eastern Oklahoma.
State game wardens Cody Youngblood and Jared Cramer are taking the sighting serious.
Neither warden has seen the alligator but Cramer said he has received multiple reports of sightings. Both men believe the alligator was a pet and someone released it.
Read more in Sunday's Tulsa World.
By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx
Monday, March 14, 2011
Alligator Found Guarding Southern California Pot Farm
Mar 9, 2011 – 1:50 PM
Tori Richards
Contributor
HEMET, Calif. -- When police raided a pot farm in this Southern California desert community, they found an unusual watchdog -- a 4-foot alligator named Wally.
The 55-pound American alligator was found lounging Monday night in a black cement mixing tub located in the back area of a house where 2,285 plants were growing, police said. One man was arrested, and Wally was taken to an animal sanctuary, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.
The marijuana was valued at $1.5 million.
The raid happened after anonymous tips were given to police about a possible drug-dealing operation at this suburban tract home. Police visited the house and discovered the marijuana, then returned with a search warrant.
Resident John Nathan Donna, 29, was arrested on suspicion of possession of concentrated cannabis and cultivation of marijuana for sale, the Press-Enterprise reported.
As for Wally, he was turned over to the California Department of Fish and Game, which found a good foster home -- Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, which rescues captive-bred animals such as big cats, reptiles and birds. It is illegal to own alligators in California.
Wally is the same type of alligator found in the Florida Everglades.
"He was extremely healthy -- a little too well taken care of," said Joel Almquist, who runs the sanctuary. "It's still an alligator; some are pretty mellow, but if you get bit by a 3-footer, you're going to remember it for a long time. It's kind of like being bit by a vise with teeth. It's not a pleasant experience."
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/09/alligator-found-guarding-southern-california-pot-farm/
Friday, February 25, 2011
Brazilian woman finds alligator behind sofa
24 February 2011
A woman in Brazil was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house in the town of Parauapebas, in Para state.
She said she was alerted to the reptile's presence by her three-year-old son, who was patting its head.
The woman snatched the child away and called the fire brigade, who trapped the 1.5m-long (5ft) alligator.
The firefighters said the family was lucky the reptile was not hungry.
Firefighter Captain Luiz Claudio Farias said it could have seriously hurt or even killed the boy.
Capt Farias said it was not uncommon for animals such as alligators and snakes to enter people's houses in towns such as Parauapebas which are built very near rivers and the rainforest.
He said the reptile had been released in a less populated area of the town.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12562018
A woman in Brazil was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house in the town of Parauapebas, in Para state.
She said she was alerted to the reptile's presence by her three-year-old son, who was patting its head.
The woman snatched the child away and called the fire brigade, who trapped the 1.5m-long (5ft) alligator.
The firefighters said the family was lucky the reptile was not hungry.
Firefighter Captain Luiz Claudio Farias said it could have seriously hurt or even killed the boy.
Capt Farias said it was not uncommon for animals such as alligators and snakes to enter people's houses in towns such as Parauapebas which are built very near rivers and the rainforest.
He said the reptile had been released in a less populated area of the town.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12562018
Monday, February 7, 2011
Croc sighted in flood waters
Monday February 7, 2011
MUAR: A crocodile was spotted near a flooded house where geese and ducks are reared.
The reptile, measuring at least 4m in length, was seen by a team of Rela members who were patrolling Kampung Tanjung Olak near Jorak at about 7pm on Saturday.
Team member Kamaruddin Ahmad said they were in a boat when they spotted the crocodile.
“We first thought it was a log but when it moved against the current and headed towards a house, we knew it was a crocodile,” he told reporters yesterday.
Kamaruddin said that following the sighting he had alerted the villagers and told them not to go to their flooded homes alone and at night.
A villager, Munir Ahmad, said Kampung Tanjung Olak was located near Sungai Muar and crocodiles had been sighted before.
However, he added, the reptiles had not attacked anyone since a big crocodile was caught by a well-known hunter, the late Togom Lanang, in the early 1950s.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/7/nation/8014489&sec=nation
MUAR: A crocodile was spotted near a flooded house where geese and ducks are reared.
The reptile, measuring at least 4m in length, was seen by a team of Rela members who were patrolling Kampung Tanjung Olak near Jorak at about 7pm on Saturday.
Team member Kamaruddin Ahmad said they were in a boat when they spotted the crocodile.
“We first thought it was a log but when it moved against the current and headed towards a house, we knew it was a crocodile,” he told reporters yesterday.
Kamaruddin said that following the sighting he had alerted the villagers and told them not to go to their flooded homes alone and at night.
A villager, Munir Ahmad, said Kampung Tanjung Olak was located near Sungai Muar and crocodiles had been sighted before.
However, he added, the reptiles had not attacked anyone since a big crocodile was caught by a well-known hunter, the late Togom Lanang, in the early 1950s.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/7/nation/8014489&sec=nation
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Philippine Croc May Be Extinct in 10 Years (Via Herp Digest)
Philippine Croc May Be Extinct in 10 Years
By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) Updated January 27, 2011 12:00 AM
Only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The Philippine crocodile, classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, will be extinct in 10 years if no conservation measures are immediately undertaken.
The Mabuwaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), an organization engaged in protecting the species, said only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
Philippine crocodiles (scientific name Crocodylus mindorensis) are endemic to the country. They thrive in freshwater and are non-threatening to humans unless provoked.
"The Philippine crocodile is the world's most severely threatened crocodile species. It is at a real risk of going extinct in the near future if no conservation action is taken," said Marites Balbas, communication officer of Mabuwaya Foundation.
The foundation collaborates with international conservationist group Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The foundation will release today 19 baby Philippine crocodiles in the wetlands of San Mariano in Isabela where 49 young crocodiles of same species had been released two years ago.
These were caught in hatchling stage and raised in captivity for a year and a half until it was determined that they could survive in the wild.
The procedure, called "head-starting," has been practiced since 2005 to raise the Philippine crocodile population by increasing the survival chances of newborn crocodiles in the wild.
The crocodiles will be released in honor of the inauguration of the foundation's Municipal Philippine Crocodile Rearing Station in San Mariano.
The population of Philippine crocodiles is threatened by hunting and the conversion of their natural habitat -creeks, ponds, and marshes - into residential or commercial spaces.
Another crocodile species endemic to the Philippines is the saltwater crocodile (Crocoydlus porosus). It is, however, not endangered like the Philippine crocodile.
The law prohibits hunting, killing, selling, and buying of the species. Violators will be fined P100,000.
By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) Updated January 27, 2011 12:00 AM
Only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The Philippine crocodile, classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, will be extinct in 10 years if no conservation measures are immediately undertaken.
The Mabuwaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), an organization engaged in protecting the species, said only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
Philippine crocodiles (scientific name Crocodylus mindorensis) are endemic to the country. They thrive in freshwater and are non-threatening to humans unless provoked.
"The Philippine crocodile is the world's most severely threatened crocodile species. It is at a real risk of going extinct in the near future if no conservation action is taken," said Marites Balbas, communication officer of Mabuwaya Foundation.
The foundation collaborates with international conservationist group Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The foundation will release today 19 baby Philippine crocodiles in the wetlands of San Mariano in Isabela where 49 young crocodiles of same species had been released two years ago.
These were caught in hatchling stage and raised in captivity for a year and a half until it was determined that they could survive in the wild.
The procedure, called "head-starting," has been practiced since 2005 to raise the Philippine crocodile population by increasing the survival chances of newborn crocodiles in the wild.
The crocodiles will be released in honor of the inauguration of the foundation's Municipal Philippine Crocodile Rearing Station in San Mariano.
The population of Philippine crocodiles is threatened by hunting and the conversion of their natural habitat -creeks, ponds, and marshes - into residential or commercial spaces.
Another crocodile species endemic to the Philippines is the saltwater crocodile (Crocoydlus porosus). It is, however, not endangered like the Philippine crocodile.
The law prohibits hunting, killing, selling, and buying of the species. Violators will be fined P100,000.
Philippine Croc May Be Extinct in 10 Years (Via Herp Digest)
Philippine Croc May Be Extinct in 10 Years
By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) Updated January 27, 2011 12:00 AM
Only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The Philippine crocodile, classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, will be extinct in 10 years if no conservation measures are immediately undertaken.
The Mabuwaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), an organization engaged in protecting the species, said only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
Philippine crocodiles (scientific name Crocodylus mindorensis) are endemic to the country. They thrive in freshwater and are non-threatening to humans unless provoked.
"The Philippine crocodile is the world's most severely threatened crocodile species. It is at a real risk of going extinct in the near future if no conservation action is taken," said Marites Balbas, communication officer of Mabuwaya Foundation.
The foundation collaborates with international conservationist group Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The foundation will release today 19 baby Philippine crocodiles in the wetlands of San Mariano in Isabela where 49 young crocodiles of same species had been released two years ago.
These were caught in hatchling stage and raised in captivity for a year and a half until it was determined that they could survive in the wild.
The procedure, called "head-starting," has been practiced since 2005 to raise the Philippine crocodile population by increasing the survival chances of newborn crocodiles in the wild.
The crocodiles will be released in honor of the inauguration of the foundation's Municipal Philippine Crocodile Rearing Station in San Mariano.
The population of Philippine crocodiles is threatened by hunting and the conversion of their natural habitat -creeks, ponds, and marshes - into residential or commercial spaces.
Another crocodile species endemic to the Philippines is the saltwater crocodile (Crocoydlus porosus). It is, however, not endangered like the Philippine crocodile.
The law prohibits hunting, killing, selling, and buying of the species. Violators will be fined P100,000.
By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) Updated January 27, 2011 12:00 AM
Only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The Philippine crocodile, classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, will be extinct in 10 years if no conservation measures are immediately undertaken.
The Mabuwaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), an organization engaged in protecting the species, said only 100 mature Philippine crocodiles are left in the wilds of Isabela and Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao.
Philippine crocodiles (scientific name Crocodylus mindorensis) are endemic to the country. They thrive in freshwater and are non-threatening to humans unless provoked.
"The Philippine crocodile is the world's most severely threatened crocodile species. It is at a real risk of going extinct in the near future if no conservation action is taken," said Marites Balbas, communication officer of Mabuwaya Foundation.
The foundation collaborates with international conservationist group Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The foundation will release today 19 baby Philippine crocodiles in the wetlands of San Mariano in Isabela where 49 young crocodiles of same species had been released two years ago.
These were caught in hatchling stage and raised in captivity for a year and a half until it was determined that they could survive in the wild.
The procedure, called "head-starting," has been practiced since 2005 to raise the Philippine crocodile population by increasing the survival chances of newborn crocodiles in the wild.
The crocodiles will be released in honor of the inauguration of the foundation's Municipal Philippine Crocodile Rearing Station in San Mariano.
The population of Philippine crocodiles is threatened by hunting and the conversion of their natural habitat -creeks, ponds, and marshes - into residential or commercial spaces.
Another crocodile species endemic to the Philippines is the saltwater crocodile (Crocoydlus porosus). It is, however, not endangered like the Philippine crocodile.
The law prohibits hunting, killing, selling, and buying of the species. Violators will be fined P100,000.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Croc swallows phone and starts ringing
January 24, 2011 - 10:36AM
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Croc swallows phone and starts ringing
January 24, 2011 - 10:36AM
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
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