ST. MAARTEN: Crocodile Found Kept At Private Residence For Approximately 30 Years

Police received information about a large crocodile that was being kept on the property of a home located on L.B. Scot Road.

After receiving this information an investigation was done by police to determine what this case was really all about.

On the scene the police discovered an approximately five feet long crocodile which was being kept in a concrete water reservoir.

The owner of this wild and very dangerous animal identified with initials S.B. stated that he has owned the animal for approximately 30 years.

The owner informed police that he did not have permission from the local authorities to ship or to own such a wild animal.

The Nature Foundation was immediately contacted to come and assist with the situation. The animal was captured and will not be disposed of.

The animal was taken to a secure place where it will be contained until a decision is taken for it be transported to a zoo off island.

Two arrested in Boolchands investigation

On Wednesday, a house search was conducted by police at a home at the Hope Estate in connection with the ongoing Boolchand’s investigation. At the house a large amount of electronic equipment and many other items such as bicycles, barbecue grill, chairs etc., were found and confiscated.

Two persons were arrested in connection with this case and remain in custody for questioning and further investigation.

Detectives are presently investigating a stabbing incident which took place on the A. Th. Illidge road on Wednesday October 18th in the morning hours between a landlord and a tenant. This cause of this stabbing was regarding the payment of rent.

The situation escalated and got out of hand at which point a fight broke out between parties. During this fight weapons were used causing the landlord to suffer a head injury and the tenant several stab wounds to his upper body and neck.

Both parties were taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for medical treatment. The tenant was admitted for observation and the landlord was arrested and placed into custody for questioning and further investigation.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Couple Wed In Hospital After Crocodile Attack

A Zimbabwe woman got married in hospital last weekend, days after her arm was bitten off in a crocodile attack near Victoria Falls.

Zanele Ndlovu, a former national tennis player, married Jamie Fox on Saturday in a chapel at Bulawayo's Mater Dei hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

This has never happened before and it is quite exciting. You can tell people are all excited about this, a hospital staffer said.

Pictures from the chapel service show Ndlovu in a wedding dress, with the stump of her right arm in bandages.

Her husband is pictured putting a ring on her left hand, which is also partially bandaged, and she is also seen signing a marriage certificate.

Ndlovu and Fox were in an inflatable boat in the Zambezi River above the Victoria Falls when they were attacked by the crocodile last week.

During the attack the crocodile gripped her arm and ripped it off while her partner made frantic efforts to save her.

They are lucky to be alive though, an unnamed family member said.

Out of all animals, crocodiles were behind the biggest number of fatal attacks on humans in Zimbabwe last year, with 21 killed by the reptiles between January and December.

Zanele Ndlovu,a former tennis player was canoeing with her man at VictoriaFalls, Zimbabwe when a croc attacked them she lost her arm last week.

She tied the knot while recovering at Bulawayo Mater Dei Hospital.

On New Year’s Eve a 90-year-old man was killed and another woman seriously injured when their inflatable boat was attacked by crocodiles in a dam at the Matopos National Park.

And last month a Zambian tourist lost his arm after he jumped into a crocodile pool at a pub in Victoria Falls town.



Tourism Observer

MEXICO: Crocodile Attacks Tourist At The Nichupte Lagoon

The Nichupte Lagoon in Cancun has registered its second serious crocodile attack in less than a month.

In the latest incident, a man who was sleeping near the lagoon was bitten by a crocodile and taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The unidentified 25-year-old man forced apart a section of wire fencing that encases the lagoon to sneak inside and sleep within the greenspace.

Not long after falling asleep, the man was attacked by a crocodile.

The incident occurred late last week in the Cancun Hotel Zone.

The man awoke to find he was being bitten about the head by a large crocodile.

Witnesses say it appeared as though the crocodile was trying to drag the man into the water, however, the reptile let go of the man after he began defending himself and screaming for help.

Emergency 066 received the distress call of a man being attacked by a crocodile.

Red Cross paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the man to the General Hospital where his condition was deemed serious but stable.

A 34-year-old American man jumped into the lagoon to swim and was attacked by a crocodile.

He also suffered bites to his head and required hospitalization.

There are numerous signs in the vicinity warning people about the dangers of the crocodiles in the lagoon.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Crocodile Invades Hospital Blocks Entrance

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe shot dead a large crocodile that strayed into the northern town of Hwange and blocked entry to a hospital.

The crocodile took up position outside the main gate to St Patrick’s hospital and charged at anyone trying to enter or leave, creating panic among residents, local media reported.

Crocodile attacks are on the rise in recent weeks due to heavy rain, Parks and wildlife authority confirmed the incident

In Hwange there was a crocodile seen in the residential area and it had to be killed because it had become a threat to human life.

Because of the rains there have been several reports of people attacked by crocodiles.

The crocodile was outside the hospital in Hwange for about two hours on Tuesday evening, attracting a large crowd of onlookers, before it was shot.

It was unclear how the animal came to be outside the hospital as the nearest water was about 10 kilometres (6 miles) away.

In less than five minutes, I had received more than 10 phone calls from residents who were in serious panic mode, a local official said.

At first I thought it was a prank because crocodiles are found around water bodies and not in the middle of a suburb.

In the capital Harare, a woman was fatally attacked by a crocodile on Thursday as she crossed a stream, while a boy escaped with injuries in another attack in the south-eastern district of Chiredzi.


Tourism Observer

KENYA: Food Vendors Want Ban On Game Meat Lifted

Kenya is seeking to reintroduce selling of game meat at restaurants and hotels to boost competitiveness of the facilities on the global culinary landscape.

Tourism secretary for tourism Najib Balala said his ministry will undertake research over the next year on farming of game ahead of the re-introduction.

We must benefit from game resource, my team is working on it and definitely we will encourage the farming of wildlife and then we will have availability of game meat being sold in our restaurants and our hotels, he said during the opening of Tamarind Tree Hotel in Nairobi.

Restaurants, including the Carnivore, have been lobbying the government to allow for the re-introduction since the 2004 ban, which only allows for sale of ostrich and crocodile.

Carnivore had been selling game meat since it was established in the early 1980s, but what it had been associated with for over two decades stopped abruptly, cutting out game meat enthusiasts from its customer base.

It has now become more of an events-hosting entertainment facility rather than the game meat haven it was famed for.

Killing of wildlife for sport was introduced in Kenya in 1910, but was banned in 1977 when the number of certain species fell drastically.

The poaching concern led to the ban on the sale or import of game meat despite constant lobbying by restaurants.

Since then, visitors expecting to sample game meat of antelopes, gazelles, zebras, wildebeests among other wild animals have had to bear with whetting their appetites with ostrich and crocodile.

Wildlife species that have significantly declined and are critically threatened in Kenya include elephants, rhinos, Grevy Zebra, bongos, lions and cheetahs, among others. Some are hunted in conflict, for game meat and trophies.

There are only 30 Sable antelopes in Kenya currently, 3,765 Grevy zebras and less than 2,000 lions, according to KWS data submitted to Parliament.

The numbers are set to keep dropping if these animals are not protected.

Licensed game meat sellers in Kenya are rethinking their business models following a continued sales ban and refusal by the government to allow imports from South Africa.

A restaurant such as the Carnivore which has been selling game meat since the early 1980s has now become more of an events-hosting entertainment facility rather than a game meat haven it has been known for.

Sale of any game meat was banned in Kenya in 2004 because of concerns over poaching, forcing game meat outlets to restrict themselves to selling crocodile and ostrich meat whose sale remains open.

“Our customers have become disappointed over the last few years because the government won’t even allow us to import game meat from South Africa,” said Martin Dunford, the chairman of the Tamarind Group, which owns the Carnivore Restaurant.

Carnivore has been selling game meat since it was established in the early 1980s, but what is has been associated with for over two decades stopped abruptly, cutting out game meat enthusiasts from its customer base.

Since then, visitors expecting to sample game meat of antelopes, gazelles, zebras, wildebeests among other wild animals have to bear with the only two types on offer ; the ostrich and the crocodile.

“We shall continue lobbying the government to lift the ban or allow us to import from South Africa because it is an added advantage to the restaurant and the tourism industry,” said Mr Dunford, whose company also operated a game meat restaurant in South Africa.

“Our business has been under severe attack because we have specialised and associated with the game meat for many years.”

Kenya currently cannot sell game meat as one of the delicacies visitors can find in the country, letting the opportunity slip to South Africa, where game meat industry thrives.

Statistics indicate that South Africa has 11,000 private game ranches that supply to the game meat outlets across the country. Kenya has 17 private and group game ranches.

The ban has also affected ranchers like the Delamare, which supplied game meat outlets.

The trade offered them alternative income stream from culling the animals in their ranches.

Forestry and Wildlife Minister Noah Wekesa said that despite requests from game meat sellers, the ban will stay in place to check on poaching, a crime that has been rising in the country.

“I have said the ban will stay to safeguard the wildlife,” said the minister, without giving indications whether the lifting of the ban for game meaty sellers will be considered.

Game meat sellers urge that allowing controlled sale of the delicacy helps to put more value to animals in an addition to the value derived from tourism, as long as that animal is not classified as an endangered species.

Because more than 50 per cent of wildlife in Kenya live in unprotected areas, it is argued the policy of restricting consumption of game meat by the hosts mostly farmers and pastoralists, worsens the human-wildlife conflict to the detriment of the animals.

Despite the ban on sale of game meat, trends of poaching in Kenya over the last three years have been rising, with the number of elephant deaths in that period growing by five times.

Data from various sources show that while 47 elephants died in 2007 due to poaching, the number rose to 145 in 2008 and to 216 in 2009.

Bonaventure Ebayi, the director of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF), a regional anti-poaching initiative, said poachers are using technology to increase attacks against food and non-food wildlife.


Tourism Observer

UGANDA: Crocodile Swallows Girl Fetching Water

Residents of Kimengo Sub County in Masindi district have accused the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) of neglecting them when crocodiles on River Kafu are endlessly killing and eating their colleagues.

The latest incident happened in October when a primary five pupil of Kaikanga Primary School and was eaten by a crocodile as she fetched water from River Kafu.

Kimengo Sub county chairman, Mr Robert Musasizi on Monday said they have experienced similar problems for a long time and a number of people and animals have been eaten by the predators.

Musasizi said the most affected villages are Miduma, Kateirwe, Kizinga, Kafu and Kayera all in Kimengo Sub-county.

He accused UWA, whose mandate is to conserve wildlife of giving priority to animals that are wrecking havoc on human beings.

“We are very much concerned because we have been reporting all these incidences to UWA but they have never responded,” he said.

Mr Sunday Musuuli, an elder accused UWA of being irresponsible and concentrating on minor issues leaving serious issues that concern citizens unresolved.

“When UWA hears that residents have killed an antelope, they get concerned but when we report that one of us has been killed by a crocodile, they don’t care at all,” Mr Musuuli said.

UWA sector manager in charge of Murchison Falls conservation area, Mr Richard Muhabwe admitted that he is aware of the dangers caused by crocodiles on River Kafu.

He said they lack personnel to control or repatriate the beasts.

“We are making arrangements to shift all dangerous crocodiles from River Kafu in Kimengo Sub-county,” Mr Muhabwe said.

TANZANIA: Wonders Of Serengeti

Serengeti Migration
The Serengeti is not one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, but it is home to the migration which was officially declared as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa on February 11, 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania. The migration is a shared wonder between the countries of Tanzania and Kenya. The majority of the migration is experienced on the Tanzanian side.

Serengeti
The name Serengeti comes from the Swahili word meaning “endless plains.” For some this conjures up an image of nothing but grass lands, however the it is so much more. These endless plains stretch over 12,000 squares miles (30,000 sq km) and feature a variety of habitats that include the expected grasslands along with kopjes, swamps, riverine forests, woodlands and hills.

The various habitats are what provide an opportunity for the Serengeti to be home to around 70 larger mammals and over 500 species of birds. The abundant and varying wildlife is what attracts visitors to this wonder of nature from Africa.

The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments have leveraged national parks, conservation areas, and game reserves to establish official protection over 80% of the endless plains affectionately known as the Serengeti. The national park in Tanzania goes by the same name, whereas the national park in Kenya is known as the Masai Mara.

Serengeti Wildlife
The migration is the hallmark of the Serengeti featuring over 1.2 million wildebeests, over 800,000 zebras, and hundreds of thousands of gazelles, impalas, and other wildlife. The heart of the migration is the wildebeest and the zebra.

The Serengeti is also home to 6 of the Big Seven, which include the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, hippo and the crocodile. The only one of the Big Seven missing is the mountain gorilla. Some of the other wildlife calling the endless plains home include: cheetah, hyena, giraffe, eland, Thomson gazelle, impala, baboon, and the warthog. There are also hundreds of species of birds making this the complete Safari experience.

The migration is what attracts many people. One of the highlights occurs during the months of January and February when the wildebeests are giving birth. This is a short and concise window where all of the wildebeests give birth within a 2 to 3 week period. A second highlight occurs sometime during the months of September or October. This is another concise 2 to 3 week period where the wildebeests and zebras cross the Mara River into Kenya.

Crossing the Mara River is exciting for an couple of reasons. First, it is an amazing sight to see 1 million wildebeests crossing the river in a given moment. However this is also a challenging crossing as crocodiles wait to feast on these animals as they enter the water. Witnessing a crocodile capture and kill one of the wildebeest is an exciting encounter with nature.

AUSTRALIA: 70 Crocodile Heads Found In A Freezer

As many as 70 crocodile heads were found dumped and left to rot in a freezer in a small town in northern Australia.

A group of children found the freezer that had been left behind a local shop at a small town called Humpty Doo, 40 km southeast of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory (NT).

Authorities said at least 50 crocodile heads - but as many as 70 - had been stuffed inside the freezer.

NT national parks and wildlife officers have joined the investigation.

Crocodiles are considered a protected species in Australia and anyone convicted of killing the animal faces a fine of $55,779 or five years in jail.

A limited number of permits are issued each year for local hunters to kill or remove crocodiles that pose a danger to the community.

Crocodile skin is incredibly valuable in the global fashion industry.