HERP NEWS 267/2009
ISLAND PACKET (Hilton Head, S Carolina) 24
September 09 Romantic proposal in SC leads to turtle deaths
Hilton Head
Island, S.C. (AP): A wedding proposal
led to the deaths of dozens of federally protected loggerhead sea turtle
hatchlings on a South Carolina beach.
The Island
Packet of Hilton Head reports a man placed 150 waxed bags with candles inside
on the beach on the resort island Tuesday night.
After the
proposal, the couple left the candles lit. Sixty hatchlings emerged from a
nearby nest and couldn't find the shore.
Town natural
resources associate Sarah Skigen says some turtles circled the lights until
they died or were eaten by crabs. Others headed toward dunes, lagoons and
backyards.
The couple got
a warning and Skigen says they showed remorse. The couple said they didn't know
about light restrictions during nesting season.
http://www.islandpacket.com/state/story/977676.html
DAILY
Most mobsters
use guns and knives to extort money from their victims.
But Antonio
Cristofaro possessed an altogether more imaginative weapon - an
88lb crocodile.
The
38-year-old Mafia boss would threaten those who refused his offers of
protection with the beast, which he kept at his home.
Cristofaro
would feed the 5ft crocodile with rabbits and mice in front of his victims so
they could see the full force of its razor-sharp teeth, which can take off an
arm with one bite.
Detectives
raided his house following a tip-off that guns and drugs were being hidden
there but the only 'weapon' they found was the crocodile.
Officers wore
protective clothing and had to call in reptile experts when they examined the
home at Caserta near Naples in Italy, the heartland of the local Mafia known as
the Camorra.
Cristofaro was
known to police because he was the nephew of another local Godfather, who had
been gunned down in a feud with rival mobsters.
As a result
Cristofaro always wore a bulletproof jacket when he left his house.
Extortion, or
'pizzo' as it is known in Italy, is one of the main ways the Mafia makes money,
warning those who refuse to pay that they, their families or their businesses
will be targeted.
A police
spokesman in Caserta said: 'Experts had to be called in from Rome to deal with
the animal which was kept in a large tank of water on the terrace of the
apartment, which was also surrounded with CCTV cameras.
'The animal is
now at a centre near Rome - Cristofaro told us that he used it to scare
his victims and he would feed it live rabbits and mice to put his point
across.'
The spokesman
added that Cristofaro would be charged with illegal possession of a wild
animal.
It is not the
first time that police have seized exotic creatures from Mafia mobsters.
In the past
lions, tigers, snakes and birds of prey have also been discovered.
THE TIMES (London, UK) 24 September 09 Mafia
boss Antonio Cristofaro 'kept crocodile as enforcer' (David Bebber)
When it comes
to making an offer you can’t refuse, few things can be as persuasive as a
crocodile.
One suspected
Mafia boss found the reptile threat so effective that he used a 5ft-long pet
caiman to terrorise extortion victims into paying him for “protection",
according to Italian police.
Antonio
Cristofaro, described as an “up and coming” boss in the Camorra, the Neapolitan
Mafia, would take reluctant businessmen on to his roof terrace, where he kept
the pet, and feed it live mice and rabbits, before asking them to reconsider
his offer.
Officers from
the anti-Mafia squad seized the caiman during a search of the man’s home in the
southern Italian town of Caserta, near Naples. It was 5.5ft (1.7m) long and
weighed about 88lb (40kg).
No weapons
were found, but experts had to be called in to deal with the reptile.
Mr Cristofaro,
35, will be charged with illegal possession of animals. Police are also investigating
allegations that he runs protection rackets in the region.
Maurizio
Vallone, head of the anti-Mafia squad, said that the caiman had been held in
full view of the neighbouring apartments. The terrace area, where it was kept,
had also been fitted with hi-tech video surveillance.
A police
spokesman in Caserta said: "Experts had to be called in from Rome to deal
with the animal, which was kept in a large tank of water on the terrace of the
apartment, which was also surrounded with CCTV cameras.
"The animal
is now at a centre near Rome. Cristofaro told us that he used it to scare his
victims and he would feed it live rabbits and mice to put his point across.
Mr Cristofaro,
who has a police record for illegal possession of weapons, is thought to have kept
the caiman on his terrace for about two years.
It is believed
he always wore a bulletproof jacket in public, after an uncle – also a
suspected Mafia boss – was murdered a year and a half ago, during a clan feud.
The payment of
protection money, or “pizzo” as it is known in Italy, has a long, lucrative
role in Mafia history. Extortion provides clans with one of their main sources
of income – those who refuse to pay up risk putting their families or
businesses in danger.
Caimans are
not the only exotic animals to be exploited by crime bosses.
Illegal animal
trafficking is believed to provide another lucrative business for the Camorra.
Local bosses have been found with lions and tigers in the grounds of their
luxury villas.
This week,
Italian police also stopped a small van packed with 1,700 exotic animals
including tropical birds, chameleons, turtles and Japanese squirrels.
The driver
said he had bought them in the Naples area and was driving them to his pet shop
in Bari, where he has a ''select'' clientele.
The man, who
was charged with breaking animal import and safety laws, said he expected the
cargo to earn him about €20,000.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6847393.ece
LA STAMPA (Torino, Italy) 24 September 09 Un coccodrillo per far pagare il pizzo - Il
boss Antonio Cristofaro lo teneva in bella mostra sul terrazzo di casa
Napoli: Non ha opposto alcuna resistenza quando gli
agenti della Dia hanno voluto perquisire la sua abitazione. Ha però dimostrato
molta contrarietà quando gli hanno comunicato che avrebbero portato via il
coccodrillo. È stato allora che Antonio Cristofaro, 35 anni, considerato dalla
Dia un boss della camorra emergente del Casertano, si è mostrato quasi
sorpreso: per lui, il fatto che un coccodrillo di un metro e settanta di
lunghezza e di 40 chili di peso vivesse sul terrazzo, e qualche volta entrasse
anche in casa, «era del tutto normale».
Agli
agenti, Cristofaro ha raccontato che quel coccodrillo gli era stato regalato; è
probabile che ne fosse in possesso da circa due anni. Ma soprattutto, come
ricostruito dagli inquirenti, per lui il grosso rettile era uno strumento di
lavoro visto che, grazie ad esso, intimoriva le sue vittime. E così, gli
imprenditori che non volevano pagare il pizzo, venivano portati nell’abitazione
di Orta di Atella, al cospetto del coccodrillo e il messaggio era subito più
convincente. È già da un pò, dicono gli investigatori della Dia, che Cristofaro
- nipote di un boss ucciso un anno e mezzo fa a Cesa (Caserta) e già noto alla
giustizia per porto e detenzione abusivi di armi - sta cercando di imporsi sul
territorio, in maniera del tutto autonoma, con un suo gruppo e non attraverso
legami con altri clan: la strada scelta sarebbe quella delle estorsioni a danno
di numerosi imprenditori dell’area atellana del basso Casertano.
Un
percorso in solitario, in una zona dominatà da alcuni clan e considerata molto
pericolosa, in primis dallo stesso Cristofaro che, non a caso, esce sempre
indossando un giubbotto antiproiettile. Ed infatti, quando gli agenti della Dia
hanno bussato alla sua porta (il fatto risale allo scorso 18 settembre, ma è
stato reso noto solo oggi), Cristofaro era convinto che volessero ucciderlo: ha
chiesto di vedere il personale in divisa, ha voluto mille rassicurazioni. In
casa niente armi, solo telecamere a circuito chiuso. Poi, la reazione più forte:
quando gli hanno comunicato che il coccodrillo sarebbe stato portato altrove.
Quell’animale lo trattava con tutti i riguardi: una pozza d’acqua, conigli e
topi vivi per pranzo. Ora il rettile è stato affidato alla Forestale; per lui
una sistemazione vicino Roma. A carico di Cristofaro è scattata una denuncia
per possesso illegale di animali.
http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/cronache/200909articoli/47594girata.asp
ZEIT (Hamburg, Germany) 24 September 09 Mafia: Polizei in Neapel findet Krokodil auf
Balkon
Neapel
(DPA): Die Polizei der süditalienischen
Metropole Neapel ist bei Ermittlungen gegen eine Bande von Schutzgelderpressern
auf ein Krokodil gestoßen. Das menschenfressende Reptil sei von einem Mitglied
der neapolitanischen Mafia «Camorra» auf dem Balkon gehalten worden, berichten
italienische Medien. Nach ersten Angaben der Beamten habe das Tier dem Mafioso
Antonio Cristofaro wohl vor allem dazu gedient, zahlungsunwillige Unternehmer
einzuschüchtern. Das Raubtier wurde einem Zoo überstellt.
http://www.zeit.de/newsticker/2009/9/23/iptc-hfk-20090923-47-22473304xml
TERRA (Santiago, Chile) 24 September 09 Mafioso italiano usaba cocodrilo para
intimidar a empresarios
Italia: La policía italiana informó que atraparon un
cocodrilo que fue utilizado por una mafia de Nápoles para intimidar a los
empresarios locales, a quienes pedían dinero a cambio de protección.
Según
informó el diario "La Repubblica Napoli", los agentes hallaron
el animal durante un registro de armas en la casa de los criminales.
El réptil, que pesa 40 kilos y mide 1,7 metros de largo, era el arma que
utilizaban los mafiosos para obligar a sus víctimas a pagarles dinero.
Según la
policía, el dueño del cocodrilo era un conocido miembro de la mafia italiana,
identificado como Sergio Di Mauro, quien se encargaba de llamar a las víctimas,
luego iba a sus casas con el animal y los amenazaba con tirárselos si no les
pagaban dinero.
A pesar de
esto, el hombre no fue detenido, ya que esta en curso la investigación.
PORTUGAL DIÁRIO (Lisbon, Portugal) 24 September 09 Chefe da máfia usava crocodilo para
intimidar comerciantes
A polícia
italiana encontrou um crocodilo, com quase dois metros de comprimento, em casa
de um chefe da máfia napolitana. O animal «de estimação», alimentado com
coelhos e ratos vivos, era usado para intimidar os comerciantes a «pagar
favores». A notícia é avançada pelo jornal britânico «Telegraph».
porta-voz
da polícia, Sergio Di Mauro, explicou aos jornalistas que a descoberta foi
feita quando as autoridades realizavam uma busca, à procura de armas, na casa
do chefe da máfia. O crocodilo estava preso num terraço.
De acordo
com a mesma fonte, citada pelo «Telegraph», os comerciantes e homens de negócio
eram convidados a ir a casa do mafioso e depois apresentados ao «bicho».
Ficavam a saber que se não pagassem os favores seriam a próxima refeição do
crocodilo.
chefe
napolitano foi, entretanto, detido por posse de ilegal de animal selvagem e
está agora investigado por extorsão. O crocodilo, ao que tudo indica da espécie
caimão, foi entregue ao serviço italiano responsável pela vida selvagem.
http://diario.iol.pt/internacional/italia-mafia-napoles-crocodilo-policia-extorsao/1091296-4073.html
(DPA/KA) De politie van de Zuid-Italiaanse grootstad
Napels is tijdens een onderzoek tegen een bende afpersers op een krokodil
gestoten. Het mensenetende reptiel werd door een lid van de Napolitaanse maffia
Camorra op een balkon gehouden. Dat deelde de
Italiaanse media vandaag mee.
Volgens de
agenten diende het dier van mafioso Antonio Cristofaro enkel en alleen om
mensen die niet bereid waren te betalen, op andere gedachten te brengen.
Zowel de
misdadiger alsook zijn illegaal huisdier werden meegenomen. Het dier werd
overgebracht naar de dierentuin, terwijl Cristofaro ook nog eens beschuldigd
werd van het illegaal bezit van wilde dieren.
TV2 (Oslo, Norway) 24 September 09 Mafiaboss
krevde inn penger med krokodille
Politiet i
Italia opplyste onsdag at de har tatt hånd om en krokodille som ble funnet i
hjemmet til en angivelig mafiaboss utenfor Napoli.
Betjenter som
gjennomsøkte mannens hjem på jakt etter våpen fant krokodillen på terrassen,
sier politietterforsker Sergio Di Mauro til nyhetsbyrået AP.
Skremte
forretningsmenn
Den
mistenkte mafiabossen, som skal være en sentral skikkelse i den Napoli-baserte
Camorra-mafiaen, pleide å invitere utpressingsofre til hjemmet sitt og truet
med å sette krokodillen på dem dersom de ikke betalte eller infridde tjenester.
Krokodillen,
som veide drøye 40 kilo, var nesten to meter lang. Den ble foret levende rotter
og mus, opplyser politiet.
Ikke
arrestert
Mannen har
ikke blitt arrestert, men er under etterforskning for ulovlig oppbevaring av
dyr. Mannen etterforskes også for anklager om utpressing, opplyser
politiet.
Ifølge
etterforsker Di Mauro er dyret trolig en kaiman, som vanligvis lever i Mellom-
og Sør-Amerika. Det er ikke klart hvordan reptilet ble
fraktet til Italia.
http://www.tv2nyhetene.no/utenriks/mafiaboss-krevde-inn-penger-med-krokodille-2923131.html
DELFI (Vilnius, Lithuania) 24 September
09 Italijos
policija konfiskavo mafijos boso augintą krokodilą
Italijos
policija konfiskavo įtariamo Neapolio mafijos boso krokodilą. Manoma,
kad jis naudojo augintinį, siekdamas įbauginti vietinius verslininkus
ir priversti juos mokėti už apsaugą, praneša telegraph.co.uk.
Pareigūnai,
kurie praėjusią savaitę ieškojo ginklų šio vyro namuose
pietiniame Italijos mieste, rado 88 svarų (40 kg) svorio krokodilą,
gyvenantį jo terasoje, sakė policijos atstovas Sergio Di Mauro.
S. Di Mauro
teigimu, 5,6 pėdų (1,7 metro) ilgio krokodilas buvo šeriamas gyvais
triušiais ir pelėmis.
Pasak jo,
įtariamasis Neapolyje įsikūrusios Camorra nusikalstamos
grupuotės bosas pasikviesdavo aukas į savo namus ir grasindavo
užpjudyti juos gyvūnu, jei jie atsisakytų mokėti arba padaryti
jam paslaugas.
Vyras nebuvo
suimtas, tačiau yra apklausiamas vykdant tyrimą. S. Di Mauro teigia,
kad policija taip pat tiria jam pateiktus kaltinimus prievartiniais veiksmais.
S. Di Mauro
teigimu, gyvūnas greičiausiai priklauso kaimanų šeimai. Tai
aligatorių rūšis, gyvenanti Centrinėje ir Pietų Amerikoje.
Kol kas nėra aišku, kaip gyvūnas buvo atgabentas į Italiją.
Dabar krokodilu rūpinasi Italijos miškininkystės tarnyba.
AFTONBLADET (Stockholm, Sweden) 24 September
09 Betala
– eller bli krokodilmat: Krokodilen är italienska maffians nya metod (Sofia
Ström )
Polisen
hittade ett ovanligt husdjur hemma hos maffiabossen – en krokodil.
Krokodilen
livnärde sig på kaniner och möss – och en och annan affärsman?
Italiensk
maffiapolis har beslagtagit en krokodil hos en av Neapels maffiabossar.
Krokodilen har använts för att skrämma lokala affärsmän som mannen drev in
pengar från för "beskydd".
Polisen
genomförde förra veckan en husrannsakan hos maffiabossen i jakt på vapen – när
reptilen dök upp. Krokodilen bodde på terassen till huset i den sydliga
italienska staden, säger polisen Sergio Di Mauro till
Hotade
till livet
Krokodilen
var drygt 1,7 meter och väger drygt 40 kilo och livnärde sig till vardags på
levande kaniner och möss.
Enligt
polisen brukar mannen, hög boss i Neapelbaserade maffiasyndikatet Camorran,
bjuda hem utpressningsoffer och visa krokodilen. Sedan hotade han med en
framtid i bestens mage om de inte betalade.
Maffiabossen
har inte gripits – men utreds för illegalt innehav av djur. Polisen arbetar
även med ett åtal om utpressning.
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article5851944.ab
VESTI / РЕДАКЦИЯ ИНТЕРНЕТ-ИЗДАНИЯ (Almaty, Kazakhstan) 24 September 09 Итальянская полиция конфисковала крокодила у мафиози
Полицейские
конфисковали
44-килограммового
крокодила,
принадлежащего
боссу мафии "Каморра",
сообщает The Telegraph.
Об этом
заявил представитель
местной
полиции
Серджио Ди
Мауро (Sergio Di Mauro).
По
словам Ди
Мауро,
животное
использовалось
для
запугивания
жертв
вымогательства.
Босс мафии
приглашал
жертв к себе
домой и угрожал
натравить на
них
крокодила,
если они не
заплатят.
Рептилия
длиной в 1,7
метра
относится к
семейству
кайманов.
Подобные
особи водятся
в
Центральной
и Южной
Америке и данный
экземпляр
был ввезен в
страну
незаконно.
Крокодил
помещен под
присмотр
итальянской
службы
лесничества.
Рептилия
питалась
живыми
кроликами и
мышами.
Преступник,
чье имя не
упоминается,
пока не арестован.
Однако
владение
крокодилом
признано
незаконным и
расследуется
полицией.
Кроме того,
правоохранительные
органы
завели
против босса
мафии дело по
факту
вымогательства.
http://vesti.kz/fragment/25945/
VIVA NEWS (Jakarta, Indonesia) 24 September 09
Bayar atau Disantap Buaya - Reptil
ganas ini digunakan kepala mafia Italia untuk memeras pengusaha
Ini
pilihan yang disodorkan seorang boss mafia Italia, yang pasti akan sulit Anda
tolak: bayar atau disantap buaya ganas.
Rabu
kemarin, 23 September 2009, polisi unit anti-kejahatan terorganisir Italia
mengumumkan mereka telah menyita seekor buaya yang selama ini diduga telah
digunakan oleh kepala mafia Naples untuk memeras para pengusaha setempat guna
menyetorkan suang-perlindungan kepadanya.
Buaya itu
ditemukan ketika para polisi sedang mencari senjata saat menggeledah rumah sang
gangster di kota di selatan Italia itu, pekan lalu. Dituturkan Sergio Di Mauro, seorang perwira polisi, binatang buas itu
mereka dapati di teras rumah.
Buaya itu
berukuran lumayan besar, seberat 40 kilogram dan panjangnya 1,7 meter. Tiap
hari binatang itu diberi makan berupa kelinci dan tikus.
Di Mauro
mengatakan si tersangka yang kuat diduga merupakan boss sindikat kriminal
Camorra yang bermarkas di Naples, biasanya mengundang calon korban pemerasannya
untuk datang ke rumahnya dan lalu diancam dengan menyorongkan buaya itu ke
hadapan mereka jika menolak membayar upeti atau menuruti keinginannya.
Sejauh
ini, boss mafia itu tidak ditangkap tapi telah ditetapkan sebagai tersangka
dalam kasus pemilikan binatang secara gelap. Para penyelidik kepolisian juga
sedang menelusuri kemungkinan untuk mendakwanya dengan tuduhan pemerasan.
Di Mauro
menjelaskan buaya itu adalah jenis caiman, satu spesies buaya yang hidup di
Amerika Tengah dan Selatan. Masih belum jelas bagaimana reptil ganas itu bisa
masuk Italia. Sekarang, buaya-mafia ini
berada dalam perlindungan dinas kehutanan Italia
http://dunia.vivanews.com/news/read/92063-bayar_atau_disantap_buaya
DNEVNIK (Ljubljana, Slovenia) 24 September 09
Italijanska policija je zasegla
krokodila, s katerim je mafija izsiljevala denar za varovanje
Caserta: Italijanska policija je zasegla krokodila, za
katerega verjamejo, da so ga mafijski šefi uporabljali za ustrahovanje svojih
dolžnikov in izsiljevanje ljudi, ki so jim plačevali „usluge varovanja“.
Plazilec je bil dolg 1,7 metra in težak 40 kilogramov, odkrili pa so ga med
neko hišno preiskavo v mestu Caserta, ko so iskali orožje.
http://www.dnevnik.si/novice/neverjetno/1042301743
VECERNJI (Zagrab, Croatia) 24 September 09 Policija uhvatila krokodila kojim je mafijaš
zastrašivao ljude
Krokodil
dugačak 1,7 metara i težak oko 40 kilograma pronađen je u potrazi za
oružjem u kući osumnjičenog u Caserti. Navodni šef mafije držao je
krokodila na terasi i hranio ga živim zečevima.
Talijanska
policija uhvatila je krokodila za kojeg se pretpostavlja da ga je šef mafije
koristio kako bi zastrašivao ljude. Krokodil dugačak 1,7 metara i težak
oko 40 kilograma pronađen je u potrazi za oružjem u kući
osumnjičenog u Caserti.
Navodni
šef mafije držao je krokodila na terasi i hranio ga živim zečevima. Nije bio skriven pa su ga susjedi mogli vidjeti iz svojih
kuća. Terasa je bila ograđena i imala je videonadzor.
Muškarac
je optužen za nelegalno držanje životinje koja je prebačena u centar za
zbrinjavanje životinja.
Policija
je izjavila da je vlasnik kuće osumnjičen za ucjenu u Caserti, mjestu
u kojem je aktivna napuljska mafija Camorra.
NGƯờI LAO ĐộNG (Hanoi, Vietnam)
24 September 09 Nuôi cá sấu để... đòi tiền bảo kê.
(NLĐO): Một ông trùm
mafia Ý nuôi cá sấu làm thú cưng trong nhà. Độc chiêu hơn, doanh
nghiệp nào không chịu trả tiền bảo kê sẽ được ông trùm “mời” đến nhà… chơi với cá sấu.
Cảnh sát Ý đã tóm được con cá sấu tại nhà của một ông trùm mafia ở Napoli (Ý) trong một cuộc lục soát
vũ khí hồi tuần trước. Phát ngôn viên cảnh sát Sergio Di
Mauro cho biết con cá sấu dài hơn 1,7m và
được nuôi bằng thỏ và chuột sống.
Theo cảnh sát, ông trùm nằm trong tổ chức mafia Camorra khét tiếng này có “sở thích” dùng cá sấu để hăm
dọa các doanh nghiệp địa phương nộp tiền bảo kê. Ai
còn chần chừ hoặc khất lần khất lữa sẽ được ông trùm mời đến nhà cho…
cá sấu tấn công.
Hiện thời, ông
trùm này chưa bị bắt nhưng bị thẩm vấn vì sở hữu bất hợp pháp động vật hoang
dã. Con cá sấu trên thuộc loại sống ở Trung và
Nam Mỹ, không rõ bằng cách nào nó đến được Ý. Ông Di Mauro cho biết sẽ thẩm vấn các nạn nhân
để thu thập thêm chứng cứ.
http://www.nld.com.vn/2009092404000578P0C1006/nuoi-ca-sau-de-doi-tien-bao-ke.htm
RÍKISÚTVARPIÐ (Reykjavík, Íceland) 24 September 09
Notaði krókódíl til að kúga fólk
Ítalska
lögreglan hefur lagt hald á krókódíl í eigu mafíuforingja vegna gruns um að
hann hafi notað dýrið til að kúga fólk til að greiða honum peninga til að
vernda það. Krókódíllinn fannst við húsleit á heimili hans í bænum Caserta á
suður-Ítalíu en leitin var gerð vegna gruns um að í húsinu væri að finna
ólögleg vopn.
Nágrannar
mafíuforingjans segja hann hafa fætt dýrið á lifandi kanínum fyrir allra augum
í bakgarðinum en þeir hafi af skiljanlegum ástæðum ekki þorað að kvarta.
Krókódíllinn
er 1,7 metrar á lengd og meira en 40 kíló. Krókódílar af þessari tegund eru
álitnir mjög hættulegir og geta bitið handlegg af manni í einum bita. Honum
verður komið í endurhæfingarstöð fyrir dýr sem hafa þurft að þola slæma
meðferð.
Yfirmaður
sérstakrar deildar innan ítölsku lögreglunnar sem berst gegn mafíunni segir að
krókódílnum hafi verið haldið á afgirtu svæði sem vaktað hafi verið með
öryggismyndavélum. Camorra mafían, sem tengist mafíunni í Napólí þykir
umsvifamikil í borginni. Engin vopn fundust í húsinu þar sem krókódíllinn fannst.
Þetta er í
annað sinn á einu ári sem lögreglan á Ítalíu leggur hald á krókódíl. Í fyrra
tók ítalska lögreglan tveggja metra langan krókódíl af manni sem tengdist
fíkniefnasölu.
http://www.ruv.is/heim/frettir/frett/store64/item300253/
PRETORIA NEWS (S Africa) 24 September
09 Is
this one bit too many for 'Nuttie Natie'?
(Jacques Breytenbach)
He has been
bitten 28 times in his life. That is almost one snake bite a year. But now at
34, "Nutty Natie" Swart is at a crossroads.
Doctors at
Kalafong Hospital in Atteridgeville were expected to make a decision on whether
to amputate one of his toes this morning. The puff adder bite Swart suffered on
Monday night at the Chameleon Village Reptile and Conservation Park at
Hartbeespoort Dam has proved to be more than just an obstacle in his bid to
become the first man to live with 40 venomous snakes for 121 days.
"I am all
right. It just hurts. I never wanted to be here. It was the most stupid snake
bite I have ever received. The doctor took the bandages off this (yesterday)
morning and showed me my leg. It looks bad," Swart said in hospital.
Doctors
operated on Tuesday to relieve the swelling.
"They
have done enough cutting. I will not allow them to cut up to here," Swart
said, pointing at the inside of his upper leg to where the puff adder's
cytotoxic venom had spread, resulting in the skin turning blue.
Swart, who has
had 21 years' experience in handling some of the world's deadliest snakes, was
bitten on day 37 of his Guinness world record attempt.
The incident
took place when Swart was handling a black mamba on a cupboard. Little did he
know that the puff adder was lying under a chair, centimetres from his foot.
Other snakes
sharing the enclosure with Swart were black and green mambas, boomslangs and different
species of cobras.
Another snake
handler, André Naude, will remain in the enclosure as a substitute for Swart.
"André
must look after the enclosure until I get back. And that day will be soon. I
wish I could have been treated inside the enclosure," Swart said, adding
that the bite was the second worst in his life.
About 15 years
ago he was bitten by a puff adder on the same foot. That was the worst bite.
"That
puff adder's venom stayed in my system for over a year. It caused huge blisters
on my foot and leg," Swart said.
A puff adder
can deliver between 100 and 300mg of venom in one bite. The most venom
delivered from a single puff adder bite has been recorded to be a staggering
750mg.
Swart's wife,
Marina, said that although things were not looking good for her husband, she
believed he would pull through.
"Despite
what has happened, nothing is going to keep him from that enclosure. He is
committed to the end. Natie is a go-getter and he will hang on until the bitter
end. Natie is going to surprise us all with his resilience," Marina said.
The owner of
the park, Hennie Jonk, said that because it was a case of life and death, a
decision would only be made whether Swart would be allowed to continue his
record attempt from day 37 or not when he was better.
"If not,
then he'll just start from scratch," Jonk said.
Swart is
expected to remain in hospital for up to three weeks.
When the
Pretoria News left Swart at his hospital bed, he said: "When you see me
again, I'll be back in the enclosure."
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE (Montana) 24
September 09 Don't get rattled on this hunt (Michael Babcock)
Tony and Peggy
Prince once were a show-and-tell subject at their grandson's elementary school
in Drummond: "He said he wanted to show off his weird grandparents,"
Tony Prince recalls.
And Peggy
Prince is pretty sure she is the only woman in the world to receive a pair of
snake tongs for Mother's Day.
The Princes
actually are nice, normal people — she works at 4Bs Restaurant in Great Falls
and he is with the Natural Resource Conservation Service based in Big Sandy.
But they do like to hunt rattlesnakes and that perhaps is where the
"weird" appellation came from.
Over the
weekend, the Princes were hunting snakes at one of their favorite snake dens —
the location of which I have been sworn to conceal at all costs. But I will
report that it was in northcentral Montana on high rocky outcroppings
surrounded by cultivated wheat land and short grass prairie.
The location
remains secret: The Princes are not the only snake hunters around and like most
other hunters, they keep their hunting grounds to themselves.
So on
Saturday, we headed out at the reasonable hour of 8:30 a.m. There was no hurry
since the snakes don't move around much until the sun warms the rocks and the
soil of their neighborhood.
But within 10
minutes of leaving the pickup truck behind, we heard the telltale buzz of a
rattler and Tony Prince retrieved the snake with his tongs; held it up and
inspected it and the shot it with a .22-caliber pistol. The meat, he explains,
is delicious — "sort of like a chewy frog leg" — and the skin will
make a hatband or a wall hanging for a friend.
It wasn't long
before the walkie talkie in Tony's pocket squawked and Peggy said that she had
a large female down the hillside.
The Princes do
not take females, young snakes or snakes smaller than 4 feet long.
"I'm not
an exterminator," Tony said. "We only take the big old males. We like
to leave a seed crop.
"And, I
refuse to sell them. That is like going elk hunting and selling antlers. When I
hunt it is more of an enjoyment thing. On the great big ones, the meat is easy
to fillet but my doctor says it is too rich for me so I cannot eat it anymore.
My son likes it and I give it to people.
NEWS JOURNAL (Wilmington, Delaware) 24 September
09 Big
snake on the loose near Newark - Exotic reptile could be escaped python or boa
constrictor (Terri Sanginiti)
Mari Jo Urban
thought she had better alert neighbors after her kids spotted a big, black
snake wrapped around the branches of a tree in her Scottfield Drive yard, near
Newark.
Her
13-year-old son Tyler snapped a photo of the 8-to-10-foot snake Friday
afternoon while she was at work.
Urban said the
snake was gone by the time she got home, having slithered down the tree trunk,
through the grass to the backyard, a neighbor said.
It wasn't
until Saturday that she actually got a look at the photo her son had taken.
And she was
astonished by the size of the snake.
"They
said there was a blacksnake in the tree," Urban said, referring to her
kids. "I saw the picture and I said, 'That's not a blacksnake!' "
Urban first
tried to get the Kent County SPCA, the agency contracted for animal control for
the area, to come and retrieve the reptile.
She sent them
an e-mail photo of the snake, which they thought was a python or boa
constrictor.
Animal control
officers arrived Sunday but couldn't locate the runaway snake.
Next, Urban
e-mailed the snake's photo to the Scottfield Civic Association to be
distributed to residents in the area to warn them to keep an eye out for the
snake, especially if they had small children or animals outside, she said.
As of
Wednesday, the snake was still on the lam.
Police are
recommending that anyone who sees the snake call 911.
"Obviously,
this snake is not indigenous to Delaware, and it's impossible to predict how it
would react -- especially around small children," county police Senior
Cpl. Trinidad Navarro said. "It's no longer under the care of somebody who
brought it here, so it's obviously hungry."
Jungle John
LaMedica, who hosts educational reptile shows in the area, said it was
difficult to identify the reptile from Urban's photo.
"If it is
somebody's pet that escaped or [was] let loose by the owner I wouldn't be in
fear of it," he said. "The colder weather at night is detrimental to
an exotic snake."
At this point,
the snake could be just about anywhere, LaMedica said.
"Pythons
eat rodents and birds, but they don't eat kids," he said. "So don't
get scared. You should be more afraid of strange dogs than the snake, because
snakes can't outrun you."
LaMedica's
advice: If you see the snake, leave it alone and call the authorities, and keep
an eye on it until they arrive.
"Hopefully,
the animal will be found and put indoors," he said.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090924/NEWS/909240352/1006/NEWS
CHIEFLAND CITIZEN (Florida) 24 September 09 Feds
seek info on gopher tortoises
Residents of
Levy County can play an active role in determining if the gopher tortoise gets
placed on the endangered species list, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
The agency is
conducting a 90-day study to see if the tortoises, which are currently listed
as “threatened” in Florida, should be reclassified at the federal level.
According to
the FWS website, the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 classifies fish, wildlife
and plants facing the possibility of extinction as “endangered”. “Threatened”
species refers to plants and animals that are at risk of becoming “endangered”
in the near future.
Chuck
Underwood, a spokesperson for FWS, said the study—called a status review—is
asking for any information that may lead to a better understanding of the
gopher tortoise throughout its range.
However, information should provide more than just comments in support
of or opposition to the action, according to FWS. And information must be received no later
than Nov. 9.
Underwood said
even though the gopher tortoise is protected in the state, “federal protection
will only strengthen that protection.”
The tortoise,
according to Underwood, is important because it’s known as a “keystone”
species, meaning that many animals depend upon the tortoise to provide shelter
in the form of its burrow.
“If they fall
or go extinct, there’s a potential for others to go extinct,” he said.
He said there
are about 200 known species of animals that are dependent upon the burrows,
which can be 52 feet long and 23 feet deep.
One such
species, according to Underwood, is the indigo snake, which is also listed in
Florida as “threatened”.
According to
FWS, the indigo snake, the largest snake native to the U.S., began its road to
decline when people began over collecting the reptile for the pet trade and
when rattlesnake hunters inadvertently killed them while gassing gopher
tortoise burrows—an outlawed technique known to flush rattlesnakes from the burrows
they often seek refuge in. Ironically,
indigo snakes, which are nonvenomous, are known to prey on rattlesnakes.
The gopher
tortoise, according to the University of Florida’s IFAS Extension website, is
in decline because of urban development, agriculture, poor forestry practices,
road deaths, disease and the practice of the animal being collected for food.
People having
data on gopher tortoises in their area are encouraged to submit their
information to www.regulations.gov or by mail to Public Comments Processing,
Attn: FWS-R4-ES-2009-0029; Division of Policy Directives Management; U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
http://www.chieflandcitizen.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?022+article+News+20090924135349022022001
Purulia
(WB)(ANI): A 13-feet long python was
found trapped in the fishing net in the pond of Panbazar village in Purulia
district of West Bengal.
The python
weighing around 10 to 12 kilograms was spotted by Alok, a local fisherman who
went to the pond to collect the catch for the day.
To his horror
he saw that an adult python was trapped in the net and somehow he managed to
free the snake at the cost of the fishing net.
Alok has now
demanded a compensation from the forest department as his net was torn and
damaged while freeing the reptile.
'We went to
pick up our fishing nets and found a snake stuck in it along with other fishes.
With a lot of difficulty we managed to remove it and our nets also got damaged.
Now we need to be compensated for the loss of our nets,' said Alok.
Biswanath
Dutta, Divisional Forest Officer, Kagsdabati Range said that plans are afoot to
release the python in the jungles, its natural habitat.
Pythons are
among the largest snakes in the world.
They reach a
length of eight to nine metres and have enough muscle power to overcome and
swallow an animal as large as a grown up fawn or calf.
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-118567.html
GAINESVILLE
A driver of a
Saturn got a jolt Tuesday night when the car hit an eight-foot-long alligator
on a county roadway south of Hampton.
According to
Bradford County Sheriff's Sgt. George L. Konkel Jr., the collision happened
shortly before 9:30 p.m. on County Road 325 just south of the Hampton city
limits.
Konkel left
the following update about the incident for his supervisors:
"Just
goes to show, you never know what you'll find on the almost 400 miles of
roadways in Bradford County. The vehicle was not damaged. However, the gator
did not do as well and expired due to the impact."
The Florida
Wildlife and Conservation was contacted for a licensed trapper to remove the
gator from the scene, Konkel said.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090924/articles/909241027&tc=yahoo
SOUTH FLORIDA
The Issue:
Bill would ban sale of pythons.
The Burmese
python and its constricting relatives are not just a nuisance, they're a
menace. They have set up shop in the thick of Florida's own national treasure,
and they are a threat to native wildlife in the Everglades National Park.
They must be
stopped. And while high-profile hunts of the slithering predator make for nice
photo ops, they are more publicity stunt than effective eradication tool. Most
of us can agree on that.
It's time for
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to respond to the
python's fast-breeding invasion. After all, the enormous snakes now thought to
have made a nest in the Everglades marshes did not just spring up overnight,
and for the commission to delay action any longer would be irresponsible. And
it should not stop at snakes, but pursue aggressive action against other
non-natives invading the Everglades as well, before their numbers grow as
large, and as troublesome.
But let's not
kid ourselves. Like many slow-developing crises, the big-snake invasion is one
that won't likely be solved quickly, or easily, either.
So while the
legislation proposed by state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, to ban the sale
or private ownership of certain python breeds is welcome, and long overdue, it
won't bring an end — quickly or otherwise — to this nasty problem.
That doesn't
mean it shouldn't be heartily supported when it comes before the Legislature.
At this point, when pythons have been known to swallow alligators whole and one
pet snake even strangled a child in her crib, public support for the private
ownership of such a dangerous and deadly creature is gone.
You want to
see a big snake? Visit the zoo. That's where they belong, not in our
neighborhoods — and certainly not in the wilds of Florida's landscape, where
too many discarded pet snakes have made a home over the years. So banning the
sale or ownership of certain pythons, anacondas, Nile monitor lizards and other
large reptile breeds is a no-brainer.
Sobel is also
right in grandfathering in current snake owners, as unpalatable as that may
seem, because suddenly making their pets illegal will likely only exacerbate,
not ameliorate, the problem by leading to massive dumping.
But this is
just a start. The conservation commission's staff is working on more proposals
to rein in the invasion, expected in December, and responding to those
proposals, with urgency, must be a top priority.
In the
meantime, stopping the next guy from buying a snake that too many have found
too difficult to care for at the expense of our natural resources can't come
too quickly.
Bottom Line:
Good idea, but it's just a start.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-pythons-editorial-m092409pnsep24,0,1383431.story
THE OLYMPIAN (Washington) 24 September 09 A warm
embrace from a slithery pal - Shelton man gets a hug from his boa constrictor
to warn him when a seizure is coming (Christian Hill)
Shelton: Most people would panic if a 4-foot boa
constrictor draped around their neck gave them a squeeze.
Daniel Greene,
46, credits the snake’s embrace for helping him live a fuller life. So much so,
in fact, that he has vowed to fight a tabled proposal by the federal government
that would prevent him and many others from taking what they consider their
service animals into stores and restaurants.
He said use of
his reptilian aide gives him greater confidence when he leaves home.
“I was walking
around playing Russian roulette a lot of the time,” he said of the period
before he began using the snake, named Redrock, as a service animal.
Greene, who
lives outside Shelton, suffers from epilepsy, a neurological disorder
characterized by unprovoked and reoccurring seizures. He said the snake, its
reddish-brown body draped around him like a necktie when he’s out in public,
senses when a seizure is imminent and gives him a light squeeze. The warning
gives him enough time to take medication to head off the attack, alert someone
it’s coming or move to an area where the thrashing is not disruptive.
Greene blacks
out during these episodes, but his wife, Karen, said the snake’s warning has
headed off about a half-dozen seizures in Redrock’s five months with Greene.
This month, Greene has had four seizures at night – she refuses to let the boa
constrictor share their bed – but none during the day.
“It’s very
rare now that he has had a seizure during the day,” she said.
Greene said he
learned of snakes’ prescient ability by accident about a year ago with another
snake, a 3-foot female python named Gaia. He has another python, Bronze, who
will be Redrock’s successor when he grows too large. He could grow up to be 7
feet long.
Greene took
medications to control his seizures, but said they weren’t always successful
and were damaging his liver.
A study by
University of Florida researchers concluded that some dogs have an innate
ability to detect an oncoming seizure in their owners but noted the success of
these canines depends on the handler’s awareness to their alerting behavior.
The researchers said further research is warranted to identify and further
train these dogs, although it appears none has taken place. Greene said he
couldn’t have such a dog because his wife is allergic.
Darryl Heard,
a University of Florida researcher who studies snakes, said he’s unaware of any
information that this ability extends to snakes, although he added that “it’s
certainly possible.”
Snakes have
acute sensitivity to vibration and could pick up warnings in the body before a
seizure, similar to how tremors precede a volcanic eruption, he said.
“You might get
subtle muscle vibrations or there may be changes in blood flow that the snake
is detecting,” said Heard, the associate professor of zoological medicine at
the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Heard said
there are risks in using a snake in this manner. A boa constrictor could
mistake Greene in the midst of a seizure for struggling prey and apply a
life-threatening choke hold, he said.
“I certainly
wouldn’t have a boa constrictor around my neck,” Heard said.
Greene said he
removes the snake when given a warning and hands him to his wife or another
companion. Redrock has never exhibited aggressive behavior toward him or other
residents, he said.
“It takes a
special kind of snake to be a service animal,” he said.
Around town,
Greene said residents generally are curious about Redrock, but some are scared.
He said he’s always respectful about people’s fears of snakes. He typically
sends his wife in to notify employees of a store or restaurant that her husband
is coming in with a most unusual companion. He has been asked to leave one
restaurant.
The
proliferation of wild animals, such as Redrock and also including birds,
monkeys and miniature horses, for use as service animals prompted the U.S.
Department of Justice last year to seek to remove some species from coverage
under the Americans for Disabilities Act.
Federal and
state laws require businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring in
their service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a service
animal as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to
provide assistance to an individual with a disability.” Therapy or comfort
animals are not covered under the ADA.
The law as
written requires businesses and other public accommodations to take people’s
word that they have a service animal. A person with a service animal can be
asked if he or she has a disability but isn’t required to show proof. The state
does not require service animals to be certified or specifically identified.
Greene wears a badge with Redrock’s picture on it to remind people of his
rights under federal law.
Laura
Lindstrand, a civil-rights specialist for the Washington State Human Rights
Commission, said Redrock would fall under a definition of a service animal
based on Greene’s assertion that he trained the snake. Greene said he
acclimated Redrock to people and sounds and made him “public-friendly.”
Last year, the
Department of Justice, which enforces the ADA, proposed narrowing the
definition of service animal to a “dog or other domestic animal.” It later
reportedly narrowed the definition down to only dogs.
Mark Richert,
public-policy director for the American Foundation for the Blind, said,
“frankly, a no arachnid or no reptile rule is a sensitive thing in federal
policy,” according to a transcript of a public hearing on the proposed
amendments posted online.
On Jan. 21,
the day after President Barack Obama’s inauguration, the Department of Justice
withdrew its draft final rules from consideration. It responded to a White
House directive to defer adopting any new rules until they could be reviewed
and approved by officials appointed by the new president.
The Department
of Justice did not respond Wednesday to questions about the status of the
proposed rules related to service animals.
Lindstrand
said she assumes they are dead.
“I haven’t
heard a whisper about it since way before the election,” she said.
Like his
serpentine companion, Greene remains vigilant. He supports changes in the law
that a service animal must have a universally recognized badge or identification
to be allowed into a building. He opposes restrictions on the species of
animals that can be considered service animals.
“I’m not
fighting just to have my snakes,” he said. “I’m fighting for people to have
true service animals.”
http://www.theolympian.com/topstories/story/980930.html
NASHUA TELEGRAPH (Hudson, New Hampshire) 24
September 09 Several stories of alligator sightings in Greater Nashua reported since
2001
While
alligators are uncommon in New Hampshire, this isn't the first time there have been
sightings in the Nashua area. Often, the reptiles are pets that escaped or have
been abandoned. Here are some of the other reptile sightings since 2001
compiled from Telegraph staff reports.
April 23,
2008: A Brookline man said he caught an alligator while fishing in Melendy
Pond. The man reported to police that he hooked the reptile around 7 p.m. and
it jumped back into the pond near Route 13 after trying to bite him. Fish and
Game officer Todd Szewczyk came out to investigate and patrolled the pond in a
canoe but did not see or catch the alligator.
Sept. 3, 2007:
A Hudson man reeled in an 18-inch American alligator from the Nashua River with
help from Nashua police. The alligator was placed in a Massachusetts facility.
An expert said the alligator would not have survived the winter in the river.
Aug. 20, 2004:
Two Hudson police officers were given a run for their money by 3-foot American
alligator named Smiley. Smiley escaped from his kiddie pool at his owner's
Derry Road home and was spotted on Route 102 near Connie's Restaurant, then
captured in the nearby woods. The gator's owner, who happened to live next to a
day-care center, told police it was probably best to find the pet a new home
after being told he couldn't keep Smiley unless he had a secure enclosure.
June 17, 2001:
A 2-foot-long American alligator named Maximus dug its way out under a fence in
the backyard, after he was left unattended at his owner's Lake Street home in
Nashua. Police were notified and brought Maximus to Greenville Wildlife Park,
thinking he was abandoned. The alligator and his owner were reunited after the
owner saw the article about his pet in The Telegraph.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090924/NEWS01/309249982
DETROIT NEWS (Michigan) 24 September 09 Police find alligators at suspected chop shop
in Detroit (Santiago Esparza)
Detroit: Police raiding a suspected chop shop
operating out of a home on the city's east side also found two alligators in
the home.
One of the
alligators was at least three feet long, police said. The other was a baby in
an aquarium, according to The News' reporting partner WXYZ-TV (Channel 7).
Officers found
stolen car parts and 50 marijuana plants in the home, Detroit police said.
The raid was
conducted by Detroit police in conjunction with an auto theft team comprised of
officers from Harper Woods and Grosse Pointe.
It is illegal
to have exotic animals such as lions and alligators as pets in the city. The
alligators were seized and removed from the home. It was unclear where they are
now.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090924/METRO01/909240452/-1/rss
ANNISTON
Samuel L.
Jackson was once tired of the "@#$% snakes on the @#$% plane!" on the
big screen. But the folks at the Anniston Museum of Natural History were eager
for them Wednesday — and they didn't use the profanity.
A plane with
19 reptiles stowed in its cabin taxied onto the Anniston Municipal Airport
runway Wednesday. They'll soon slither, slide and crawl their way at a new
exhibit at the museum.
Clyde Peeling,
owner of Reptiland in Allenwood, Pa., flew his Cherokee
Some of the
reptiles were venomous, but this mustachioed man is fearless. He's been tested
before.
A couple years
back on a flight to Houston, a lizard reared its head beneath the cockpit. And
many years ago, a python almost got into the control pedals.
He said he
knows the reptiles well enough. If they escape their confines somehow, he won't
make any sudden movements. He knows to land as soon as possible. And perhaps
most importantly, he knows not to freak out.
Museum program
manager Gina Morey said the reptiles will be featured in an exhibit called
"Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly." That opens Saturday morning
at 9. But the public is invited to a sneak peak tonight from 5 to 8.
There'll be
salt water crocodiles, turtles, a venomous snake, a venomous lizard and an
18-foot python that doesn't have a name. (The museum folks on Wednesday called
her "Beautiful" when the chest containing her coiled body swung open.
But the majority of folks on the tarmac wondered if that was the right word to
use.)
http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/3698386
COURIER
THE loss of
the Mary River's "bum-breathing" turtles and lungfish would be a
world tragedy, according to a leading international zoologist.
Former Time
magazine "Hero of the Planet" Dr Peter Pritchard has said the world
would lose not only a species but also a whole genus if the Mary River turtle
became extinct.
He sounded the
alarm while giving the keynote address at the world's largest turtle and
tortoise conservation and biology symposium in Missouri in the US.
"It would
be a tragedy if the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam resulted in the world
losing a species which has only been known to science for such a short
period," Dr Pritchard said.
Tiaro Landcare
project officer and environmental consultant Marilyn Connell, who presented two
papers on the endangered Mary River turtle at the symposium, said on Monday
that the eyes of the world were now firmly focused on the controversial $1.6
billion dam project.
Ms Connell has
been researching and protecting the Mary River turtle and its close neighbour, the white-faced snapping
turtle, since 1998. Along with the lungfish, that represents three species in
the river with two different ways of breathing through their bodies.
"I
believe the Mary River has the highest number of what could be termed bi-modal
respirators in the world," she said. "It's pretty special to have one
or two, but to have three in the one waterway is amazing."
Ms Connell
said the 40cm Mary River turtle, with no close relatives and only known to
science for 15 years, had attracted "immense international interest".
"Bum-breathing
turtles are restricted to Australia and two different species are found in the
Mary River so it has the second greatest diversity of river turtles in the
country and is one of the most significant Australian river systems," she
said.
Ms Connell
said the Tiaro Landcare group, with about 20 members, had been working for eight
years to help the Mary River turtle wild population.
The group has
fenced off nesting banks from predators and relocated eggs for artificial
hatching during floods.
She said that
years ago when there was a trade in turtle eggs, it was normal to harvest
10,000-15,000 eggs a year. This had now dropped to Landcare members locating
and guarding about 500 eggs annually.
Ms Connell
said while the turtles favoured two major nesting banks near Tiaro, downstream
of the proposed dam, there was still much to learn about the species, with
juveniles apparently migrating long distances upstream.
"We're
opposed to the dam and major conservation groups overseas can't believe it has
even been proposed," she said.
"They're
stunned that in a developed country we are not protecting and valuing our
unique species."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,27574,26115334-3102,00.html
WCTV (Tallahassee, Florida) 24 September
09 Python
Study - Jacksonville District, Everglades National Park determine thermal
imagery may be the key to python detection
Homestead,
Fla.: The Jacksonville District and
Everglades National Park (
“We determined
that thermal images may be very successful at certain seasons and certain times
of day for finding pythons,” said Jacksonville District’s Larry Wright, of the
Operations Division. “Further testing will be done over the next few months to
refine the image gathering data. Before we can control the snakes, we must
detect them. We did not discuss control methods at this meeting.”
Thermal
imaging is a type of infrared imaging science. Thermographic cameras detect
radiation in living creatures based on their body temperatures. Thermography
makes it possible to "see" animals and people not visible to the
human eye. As a result, thermal imaging is used extensively for military and
security purposes.
Five
specialists from the thermal imagery industry gathered with governmental and
academic experts Sept. 9 and 10 in Everglades National Park.
The meeting
was initiated by Jacksonville District Commander Col. Al Pantano and operations
division personnel.
“I believe we
made a great deal of progress during those two days,” Pantano said. “I want to
thank Dan and his staff for all of their hard work as well as our own Larry
Taylor and Jon Lane from operations. We are headed in the right direction
toward solving this growing problem.”
The first day
was spent with industry experts, who used their thermographic cameras to find
Max, a 10-foot Burmese python born and captured in the Everglades. Max, now
owned by the Park, cooperated by quickly slithering down into the natural
ground cover and disappearing from view but not actually moving very far.
The company
representatives searched for Max with their cameras mounted on extended scissor
lift and bucket trucks more than 30 feet in the air. The initial testing was
done in the heat of the day with the sun high in the sky. At that time of day
Max was detectable on the images transmitted by the cameras. However, when
testing was done between 6 and 8 p.m., when the sun was low in the sky and
temperatures had changed, the images of Max were much brighter and more
distinct.
“We saw
important differences in the images taken later in the day,” Taylor said. “We
also believe that January may be our optimum month because of the angle of the
sun. It will take trained observers to view and interpret the images. All of
this will work to our advantage.”
Governmental
agencies on hand included the U.S. Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the U.S. Army’s Aviation & Missile Research Center, the South
Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Geological Survey. A
nationally-known python expert, Mike Dorcas, from Davidson College, also
attended. The University of Florida participated with three two-person teams
with expertise in herpetology, thermal imagery and invasive species.
“We wanted to
bring together as many technical experts and brilliant minds as we could to
find solutions to the problem,” said Pantano. “We’ve surrounded ourselves with
the right people and now we are discovering what tools are available to us to
help us detect these snakes.”
During the
meeting, experts noted that the population of the snakes seem to moving north.
More than 900 pythons have already been captured in the park, but the breeding
population is thriving. For example, Max is estimated to be about
three-years-old. He was born in the wild and captured as a totally wild and healthy
animal. Burmese pythons lay about 50 eggs in a clutch. When born, the hatchling
pythons are about 20 inches long; making their survival rate much better than
most indigenous species.
According to
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 17,000 of the snakes were imported into the
United States between 1970 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2006, approximately
99,000 more pythons were imported. Cost of a python can range from about $20 to
$80. They can reach lengths of more than 20 feet and one measuring 18 feet was
recently captured in Apopka. Many of the pythons were released into the wild by
their owners who could no longer afford to feed the large animals.
According to
experts at the meeting, recent stomach examinations of pythons have revealed
they are eating rabbits, mice and rats along with many native bird species to
include limpkins, egrets, herons and other birds found in the tropical south
Florida habitat.
“We were
encouraged by the meeting,” Taylor said. “We are planning more meetings and
fine-tuning our search for the right technology and we are moving fast because
we have to.”
http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/61266677.html
SHROPSHIRE
A
five-and-a-half foot long snake that had been reported missing from a home in
Oswestry has been found safe and well — under his owner’s bed.
Rollo, a
non-venomous Californian Kingsnake, went missing from Neil Curley’s home in
Swan Lane on Monday morning.
Mr Curley, 25,
reported the missing snake to a vet and to the police after discovering that
Rollo had escaped from his tank.
After
searching his house high and low and asking neighbours to keep an eye out for
the snake, he found Rollo tucked up safe and well under his bed on Monday
evening.
Mr Curley said:
“I was really worried about him because without his heat mat and heat light he
would have died.
“I was worried
that if he had got out somebody would have taken him away and not looked after
him properly.
“It was such a
relief to find him again. He had somehow got through a hole in the bed.
“A few people
were pretty shocked when I told them my snake was missing but he is used to
being handled and is really friendly.
“I have had
him for about five months and handle him all the time. He has only ever bitten me
once.”
He said: “I
think a few people would have been worried if they had heard the snake was on
the loose, but he would not do anybody any harm.”
http://www.shropshirestar.com/2009/09/23/missing-snake-found-in-bedroom/
FORSKNING (Oslo, Norway) 24 September 09 Rotenon skal redde salamander
Oslo
(NTB): Et skogstjern på Gjelleråsen i
Nittedal kommune skal torsdag behandles med rotenon i et forsøk på å redde
bestandene av stor salamander, liten salamander og spissnutefrosk.
Alle disse
tre amfibieartene er oppført på Norsk rødliste 2006, som omfatter truede og
sårbare arter.
Rotenonbehandlingen
skal utføres av Veterinærinstituttet og gjennomføres for å utrydde fisk som er
ulovlig utsatt i tjernet. Fisken spiser salamanderlarver, og bestandene av
salamander er i ferd med å dø ut.
Miljøvernrådgiver
Guro Haug i Nittedal kommune opplyser til NTB at kommunen sommeren 2007 ble
oppmerksom på at det var satt ut mort i det 1,4 dekar store tjernet på
Gjelleråsen, og søkte deretter om å få benytte rotenon for å utrydde fisken.
Rotenon er
giftig for gjelleåndende dyr. En vellykket aksjon vil dermed utrydde
all fisk i tjernet. Salamander og frosk har på denne tiden av året kommet opp
på land, og skal ikke bli rammet.
Rotenon har
her i landet særlig vært brukt til å utrydde lakseparasitten Gyrodactylus salaris i lakseelver. Denne bruken er omstridt og har i noen vassdrag ikke gitt
de ønskede resultater.
http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2009/september/230158
RECORD-CHRONICLE (Denton, Texas) 23 September 09
Nature lovers warned to be on lookout for
snakes (Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe)
In years past,
local veterinarian David Zoltner used to see about one snake each year as he
rode his bicycle over a 20-mile loop along the Greenbelt Corridor.
But this year,
he has seen a snake — including poisonous copperheads and cottonmouths — on
nearly every ride.
With the
trail’s close proximity to urban areas, he’s concerned that some people see the
parking lots and picnic tables and misinterpret the park-like atmosphere,
Zoltner said.
On one recent
ride, for example, he watched a father with his three children zig-zag in
tennis shoes across the trail at a spot where, 30 minutes before, Zoltner had
scared off a large snake.
“They don’t
see the wilderness,” Zoltner said. “If you went to Big Bend, you’d wear your
snake boots.”
Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department spokesman Steve Lightfoot said the recent heavy rains,
or new construction, can push snakes, their prey and other wildlife into areas
of the Greenbelt or other hiking trails where they haven’t been seen before.
He wasn’t
aware of any studies that could say whether there had been any changes in the
snake population, he said.
“We do some
‘ground-truthing’ on occasion to verify that [wildlife] communities are in some
areas,” Lightfoot said. “But we usually take a holistic approach. If there’s a
good diversity of habitat, nature is going to take care of itself.”
Snakes and
other Texas wildlife are usually reclusive and run from people, he said.
“Don’t step
where you can’t see — around a log, for example,” Lightfoot said. “If you see a
snake, freeze and allow it to retreat. Then back away slowly.”Even if the first
instinct is to run, he said, don’t make any sudden moves that would scare the
snake to strike in self-defense.
Similarly,
don’t follow the instinct to reach out and touch any wild animal.
“I’ve got a
daughter who’d want to do that,” Lightfoot said.
EVENING TELEGRAPH (Peterborough,
UK) 23 September 09 AA man charms snake
from behind car dashboard
A pet snake
thought to have slithered off into the sunset has dramatically re-appeared –
after living for more than a week in the dashboard of a car in Helpston.
Silka, a three
foot long Californian corn snake, disappeared from the boot of owner Mark
Haver's car as he moved house from Norwich to Helpston last week.
Mr Haver
launched a frantic search for his pet, but the snake could not be found and was
thought to have disappeared for good.
But ,
yesterday, as Mr Haver (48) was driving the Hyundai Getz, Silka decided to make
a dramatic reappearance – poking her head out from the behind the dashboard,
before diving back out of sight.
Forty minutes
and a call to the AA later, the dashboard was in bits on the floor – and the
snake re-united with her relieved owner.
Mr Haver, of
West Street, Helpston said he was delighted to have his pet back.
He said:
"We have had Silka with us since she was a baby and she is really part of
the family.
"We saw
her slither into the dashboard, but assumed she had then escaped out an air
vent, and we would never see her again.
"But when
I was driving yesterday she poked her head out the dashboard. It was a little
disconcerting. I drove straight back home and tried to tempt her out with a
mouse, but with no luck.
"We
called the RSPCA, but they could not get her out either. In the end we had to
get the AA out.
"We were
worried she might be getting hungry and gave her a big fat mouse and now she is
back to her old self."
AA patrol man
David Price (58) said it was the strangest job he had been on in his 26 year
career.
He said:
"I have heard about stories of animals getting stuck in cars, but have
never had to rescue one myself.
"I was
poking about in the dashboard while the RSPCA man was trying to coax her out.
"Fortunately
she shot out towards the RSPCA inspector, rather than in my direction.
"But she
seemed friendly enough afterwards."
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Video-AA-man-charms-snake.5669743.jp
THIS
Gombe: Piqued by increasing cases of snake bites in
some local government areas, Gombe State government has ordered for N4 million
worth of anti-snake venom drugs to the centre of snake bite control for the
Kaltungo General Hospital.
State
Commissioner of Health, Dr. Isa Umar, who disclosed this while fielding
questions from newsmen in Gombe, confirmed that there had been acute shortage
of the drug in the state. Umar said the
state government had intimated the Minister of Health on the matter, and
appealed to other northern state governments whose indigenes patronised the
hospital to also assist.
He commended
Kaltungo Local Government Council and other well-meaning individuals in the
area for their intervention by donating money for the purchase of the drugs,
and assured the people of the state of government’s commitment and
determination to continue to place priority attention on health and wellbeing
of its people.
Also speaking,
medical officer of the hospital, Dr. Abubakar Balla, said scarcity of the drugs
since July, this year, led to the death of nine persons, adding that if there
was no quick intervention from government, the death toll would rise.
According to him,
most of the patients that patronise the hospital were peasant farmers who could
not afford to treat themselves, as a single dose of the drugs goes for about
N29,000, and a victim of snake bite require
three doses of the drug to be cured.
He said, “our
greatest worry is that if a victim of snake bite does not receive attention
within five days, the probability that the person would die becomes high.”
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=155241
WPBF (West Palm Beach, Florida) 23
September 09 Authorities Try To Snag Alligator In Storm Drain
Lake Worth,
Fla.: Authorities unsuccessfully tried
to catch a 12-foot alligator spotted in a Lake Worth storm drain Tuesday night.
Palm Beach
County Fire-Rescue crews and a state trapper were called to the Palm Club
apartment on Second Avenue North after some children saw the gator rearing its
head through the grate.
There had been
several gator sightings during the day.
They tried to
flush the gator out with a hose, but to no avail.
Attempts to
capture the gator were called off around midnight. Authorities said they won't
try again unless another sighting is reported.
http://www.wpbf.com/news/21082077/detail.html
PRETORIA NEWS (S Africa) 23 September 09 Things may get worse for snake bite victim (Jacques Breytenbach)
Doctors at
Kalafong Hospital in Atteridgeville are contemplating whether or not to
amputate one of "Nutty Natie" Swart's toes after he was bitten by a
puff adder on Monday night.
"They are
giving him 48 hours. But he (the doctor) told me there was almost 100 percent
certainty that they would have to amputate," Swart's wife, Marina, said
yesterday after her husband underwent a three-hour operation.
Although the
snake handler with 21 years experience pleaded with paramedics not to take him
out of the snake enclosure he had shared with more than 40 venomous snakes at
the Chameleon Village Reptile and Conservation Park at Hartbeespoort Dam,
"there was no choice" as medical experts feared Swart might go into
cardiac arrest.
The bite on
his foot, at 7.40pm on Monday, happened on day 37 of his Guinness world record
attempt to become the first man to live with 40-odd venomous snakes for 121
days.
In a matter of
10 minutes, Swart's foot had swollen to a mammoth 31cm in circumference, a
clear indication that the puff adder's cytotoxic venom had taken effect.
According to
Hennie Jonk, owner of the park, the bite occurred when Swart was busy handling
a black mamba on a cupboard.
"Natie
did not see the puff adder lying under a chair while he was handling the mamba,"
Jonk said.
Before he was
put into the ambulance, Swart said: "I never thought I would be bitten. I
know the risks involved if I stay in the enclosure. But I just don't want to
give up."
Jonk said
Swart would in all likelihood spend at least three weeks in hospital.
"Things
do not look good. Natie will definitely lose the toe next to his big toe. After
that, doctors will give him another 48 hours before they decide whether or not
to amputate another toe," Jonk said, adding that a puff adder bite was the
"worst case scenario" for the team.
Among the
snakes sharing the enclosure with Swart were black and green mambas,
boomslangs, different species of cobras and puff adders.
Jonk said
Swart's misfortune served as a reminder to people that the record attempt was
"no joke".
"While
Natie was busy with his attempt, people would often ask us if we milked the
snakes of their venom, or even if we pulled off their fangs. What happened to
Natie shows just how grave the danger is," he said.
Another snake
handler, Andre Naude, will remain in the enclosure as a substitute for Swart.
"Because
it was a case of life and death, we are looking into the possibility that when
Natie is fit again, he will be allowed to continue his record attempt from day
37. If not, then he'll just start from scratch," Jonk said, adding that
Swart told him there was "no way" he was going to quit, "even if
it costs him his leg".
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20090923023906244C613868
DAILY TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 23 September
09 Snake
handler ends record attempt after bitten by deadly puff adder (Ian Evans)
Cape
Town: Doctors fear they may have to
amputate some of Johannes Swart's toes after paramedics had to convince him to
leave the enclosure which he shared with 40 serpents including black mambas,
boomslangs, cobras and puff adders.
He was on day
37 of the record-breaking attempt and was reluctant to leave but medics feared
he would go into cardiac arrest if he did not receive emergency treatment.
Swart, 34, who
is also known as "Nutty Natie", was attempting to stay 121 days in
the 5m x 4m glass box at Chameleon Village Reptile and Conservation Park at
Hartbeespoort Dam, west of Pretoria.
The box room
had a lavatory, shower, small kitchen with microwave, air con and a bed raised
on stilts. The room was also under 24-hour CCTV monitoring.
On Monday
night he was bitten by the puff adder which can grow up to 75 inches long and
its potent venom is thought to be responsible for more deaths than any other
African snake.
David Dennis,
owner of the park, said: "I saw him yesterday and he was in extreme pain
but he is stable in hospital where the doctors are trying to relieve the
pressure on his foot. They said he could lose some of his toes.
"He
didn't want to come out because of the money he was raising for charity. But it
was too dangerous for him to stay in. He was trying to move a black mamba and
didn't see the puff adder under a chair. He bumped into the chair and startled
the puff adder and it bit him on the right foot.
"Natie
knows it was his fault and doesn't blame the snake. After 15 seconds he knew it
was serious and contacted the support staff.
"He's
very passionate about snakes but they are dangerous animals. He's pretty peeved
about the whole thing."
Swart's wife
Marina said he had undergone a three-hour operation: "They are giving him
48 hours. But the doctor told me there was an almost 100% certainty that they
would have to amputate."
Swart has been
interested in snakes for 21 years, ever since he caught a harmless brown house
snake in his back garden and kept it as a pet aged seven. After it died, he
found a ringhals snake otherwise known as Ring-necked spitting cobra. He
convinced his parents it was harmless but it bit him four months later and he
required hospital treatment.
Before
entering the enclosure last month he said he wanted to show people snakes were
not dangerous. "Venomous snakes are not vicious dangerous creatures and
that they will only retaliate if provoked. People need to see the signs before
a strike as a snake really doesn't want to waste his valuable "liquid
gold" venom on something that he can't eat."
He added:
"I am going to miss the sun on my skin. But I have to be honest, the
thought of living side by side with several black mambas does make me nervous.
It would make any person nervous, and if not, then that person is crazy. I
might be nutty, but I am not crazy."
Mr Dennis said
Swarthy planned to resume his record attempt when he leaves hospital.
Another South
African, Martin Smit, holds the Guinness World Record for living with snakes
after spending 113 days with 40 snakes at the same animal park last year.
CAIRNS POST (Australia) 23 September 09 Boathouse pythons evicted (Ben Blomfield)
A family of
pythons is being evicted from its home in the Yorkeys Knob Boating Club because
of a looming renovation.
Snake catchers
on Monday removed two male pythons, resident in the facility’s roof for more
than five years.
Next, workers
from Australian Venom Zoo at Kuranda plan to remove a massive female snake,
thought to be one of the largest in Australia.
The snakes are
well known to members of the boating club.
The zoo’s
Aaron Chapman tipped the mum to be longer than 6m.
"It took
about two and a half hours to get the males out," he said.
"When we
grabbed one, it swung around and lifted my colleagues off the ground.
"We
believe the mum is a mammoth and could be one of the largest in
Australia."
The family has
been feeding off animals found in the mangroves behind the club house and, when
all are caught, they will be released around Kuranda close to each other.
Yorkeys Knob
Boating Club manager Stuart Vella said no one wanted the snakes gone but a
renovation to the area forced the marching orders.
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/09/23/65435_local-news.html
NEWS.COM.AU (Sydney, Australia) 23 September 09 Python 'lifted handler clean off ground'
(AAP) Capturing pythons 5.5m and 3.2m long was the
easy part, Aaron Chapman reckons.
Mr Chapman and
two colleagues removed the two male pythons from the ceiling of the Yorkeys
Knob Boating Club near Cairns on Monday.
Now comes the
hard part - capturing Mummy, as the locals call her.
Mummy is 6.4m
- 21 feet on the old scale - and is thought to be one of the largest pythons in
Australia.
Mr Chapman
said the Australian Venom Zoo at Kuranda would send four men to attempt to
capture Mummy after the 5.5m male snake lifted his colleague clean off the
ground.
"We
grabbed one and it swung around and lifted Isaac, my larger colleague, off the
ground," he said.
The men had to
crawl through a one-metre space between roof and ceiling to locate the snakes.
Mr Chapman
said the non-venomous Mummy was capable of crushing and swallowing an adult.
The Yorkeys
Knob Boating Club has been abandoned for about 15 years, Mr Chapman said, and
is now to be renovated, meaning the pythons have to go.
The pythons
were reported to have taken up residence in the abandoned building about five
years ago, living off animals in adjacent mangroves.
He said
boating club members would telephone when Mummy was seen again, at which time
they would attempt its capture.
Mr Chapman
said the pythons would be released together in rainforest near Kuranda.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26114040-13762,00.html
NORTH WEST
Dr John
Scanlon is the go-to man in Mount Isa when there is a snake on the loose.
“Whenever
people see a snake and they phone the police or the fire fighters – they call
me to go out and get the snake,” he said.
“There used to
be a few others who could catch them in Mount Isa but it seems they’ve all gone
and I’m the only one left.”
Whether it’s
using a broom handle to control the snake’s head or garden gloves to hold the
small, baby snakes, Dr Scanlon has learnt during the years to be resourceful
and to have quick reflexes.
He said he
hasn’t been bitten since he was a teenager.
The vertebrate
palaeontologist arrived in the North West in 2004 to work at Outback at Isa and
to study the Riversleigh fossil reserves, but was also attracted by the
opportunity to study the rare snake species populating the region.
Among the top
of his list is the collard whip snake.
“It’s small –
you hardly ever see any – I’ve only caught one since I’ve been out here,” he
said.
Dr Scanlon has
written many research papers on the creatures, however because snakes move so
quickly and camouflage themselves within scrub and bushland he said there was
still much to learn about them.
“There are
also thousands of species of snakes, so there’s a lot to study,” he said.
“There are
some North American snake species that have been studied in great depth but
most haven’t, so they’re always learning more about them.”
Dr Scanlon has
been capturing and studying snakes since he was 12-years-old.
“I started
when I was young – I became interested in them and so I learnt more about them
and eventually it just progressed to learning how to handle them,” he said.
When he does
capture snakes he releases them out of town.
“Predators are
cool,” he said.
“People spend
a lot time in front of the discovery channel watching lions and tigers and
other animals like that, predators are very popular animals.”
TF1 (Paris, France) 23 September 09 Un boa constrictor dans les rues de Vouël
Grosse surprise pour des promeneurs qui ont découvert un boa constrictor
dans la soirée de lundi, vers 22h30, errant dans les rues de Vouël, près de
Tergnier (Aisne), a-t-on appris mercredi auprès de la police. Ils ont aussitôt
prévenu les pompiers et un vétérinaire de la région a ensuite été appelé pour
prendre en charge le serpent. L'animal mesurait environ 1,50 mètre de long pour
un diamètre de 10 centimètres.
Le propriétaire du serpent n'a pu être identifié.
Le boa constrictor peut mesurer jusqu'à 4 mètres de long. Il apparaît
essentiellement à la nuit tombée, pour se mettre en quête de proies,
essentiellement des petits mammifères, qu'il tue en les étouffant au moyen de
ses anneaux puissants.
Un autre reptile, un iguane de plus d'un mètre de long, avait été
découvert lundi dans les rues de Château-Thierry, également dans l'Aisne, après
que celui-ci se soit échappé du jardin de son propriétaire.
http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/insolite/0,,4764774,00-un-boa-constrictor-dans-les-rues-de-vouel-.html