Croc numbers surge in South Fla.
- From: chatnoir <wolfbat359a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 03:34:44 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hk_XBPMGabFjCotBCtEDhHjmPdUwD97DL4R00
Croc numbers surge in South Fla.
By BRIAN SKOLOFF – 21 hours ago
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Three dead dogs, and Chris Marin has had it.
He's lived with his family along a canal just south of Miami for
several years, and never had a fear of the water — until now.
"When we first moved in, I even put a swing on a tree here for my kids
to plunge into the canal," Marin said.
Then the poodles began to vanish from his backyard — first Spotty,
then Luna and Angel. The culprit? In much of Florida, the suspect
would be an alligator. In this case, it's an 11-foot American
crocodile.
Marin, 49, said living on the water just isn't worth it anymore. He's
packing up and moving.
"You barely get to enjoy the backyard," he said. "My kids won't even
step out here."
Listed as a federally endangered species in 1975, after hunting and
habitat loss nearly wiped it from the wild, the American crocodile has
surged to numbers not seen in a century. Today, the population is
about 2,000 at the southern tip of Florida, the species' only U.S.
habitat, where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has downgraded its
status to threatened.
As it returns to its historical range — now populated by millions of
humans — the American crocodile, which can grow to 15 feet, will be
living more in people's backyards, especially those closest to the
coast.
"We're seeing crocs in places they haven't been seen in decades," said
Lindsey Hord, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission.
It's alarming to some residents, even in a state that already has more
than a million alligators. Florida wildlife officials get thousands of
complaints every year from residents fearful of gators, which can eat
dogs, cats, and, very infrequently, people. About 140,000 problem
alligators were killed in Florida between 1977 and 2007.
American crocodiles have never made a documented attack on a human in
the U.S. Here, it's domestic pets that more often become crocodile
food.
"Crocodiles don't see much distinction between some small mammal that
they have naturally eaten, like a rabbit, and somebody's dog," Hord
said.
Alligators can be found in any freshwater body throughout the state,
likely part of the reason for so many attacks on humans — at least 312
unprovoked ones in Florida since 1948, 22 of them fatal — but
crocodiles are confined to South Florida.
They need warmer temperatures, and live where salt and fresh water
mix. Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and
crocodiles coexist.
Crocodiles are distinguished from gators by their lighter color,
narrower snout and an exposed fourth tooth on their lower jaw. While
they haven't attacked people in this country, American crocs have gone
after people in parts of Mexico, Central and South America and the
Caribbean.
Hord noted that human complaints are rising along with the American
crocs' numbers, which he said will likely continue to increase.
Several developments have aided the crocodile's recovery, including
habitat protection and some places not specifically set aside for the
species. The animal has found an unlikely home on the grounds of
Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point nuclear plant about 30 miles
south of Miami, a sort of replacement habitat for land lost to
development in Miami Beach and Key Biscayne.
The remoteness of the site, which is closed to the public, has given
the crocodile room to breed. They've reproduced so successfully that
now they're venturing out to populated areas.
Some are ending up in neighborhoods close to the coast, which crocs
consider prime habitat, while alligators prefer more fresh water found
inland. Christine Esco, who lives down the street from Marin, has a
crocodile in her backyard canal that's become so well known he's even
got a name: Pancho. It's the same croc authorities suspect ate Marin's
dogs.
The 11-footer has been relocated twice to more remote areas, and twice
he's returned, typical behavior for the species.
Unlike the crocodile, whose protected status means it can only be
relocated or put into captivity, problem alligators typically end up
as meat and hide when they have to be removed because of safety
concerns.
As for Pancho, the next time he is caught, he'll go to a zoo.
Crocodiles only get two chances. The third time they return, they are
put in captivity.
"It's very unnerving and scary," Esco said. "I have two small
children ... Pancho, in my opinion, is a time bomb."
Wildlife officials say residents simply need to take precautions: No
swimming in crocodile waters between dusk and dawn, when they feed;
supervise children near canals; and keep your pets well away from the
water's edge.
American crocodiles are generally less aggressive and more shy than
alligators, and "the truth is you're more likely to drown than be
attacked by an alligator or a crocodile," said University of Florida
professor Frank Mazzotti, who has studied crocodiles for more than 30
years. "That said, don't be stupid."
Mazzotti said the American crocodile's recovery in Florida "is a real
endangered species success story."
"The Endangered Species Act comes under a lot of attacks," Mazzotti
said. "Here is just an absolutely stunning example of the fact that it
works."
The crocodile's future here depends at least in part on people's
willingness to adjust their behavior to live with the creature,
Mazzotti said.
"Wildlife management," he said, "is really people management."
On the Net:
A Guide to Living With Crocodiles: http://myfwc.com/docs/WildlifeHabitats/LivingwithCrocodiles.pdf
.
- Prev by Date: Re: New bill would restore protections for wetlands - Millions of acres of wetlands threatened
- Next by Date: California condor found shot; second one in three weeks
- Previous by thread: Excellent book on animal protection/wildlife theme
- Next by thread: California condor found shot; second one in three weeks
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
Loading
