HERP NEWS 356/2009

DAILY NEWS (Durban, S Africa) 22 December 09 Snapped ... Durban's croc (Arthi Sanpath)

Durban canoeists spotted a 2-metre crocodile near the Connaught interchange, about 4km from the mouth of the Umgeni River.

Willem Deyzel, of Morningside, said he was on a training exercise on Sunday from Inanda Dam heading towards Durban with a group of paddlers from the Kingfisher Canoe Club when they spotted the crocodile.

"It was upstream from the mouth of the lagoon, under the foot bridge opposite Springfield Park," he said.

Taking out his cellphone, Deyzel and the group paddled to within about 2m of the crocodile and took photographs of it.

"We got very close, and he was not aggressive at all. He just went into the water and watched us," Deyzel said.

But, Deyzel said, people were swimming in the river about 50m from where the crocodile was spotted, but the swimmers were oblivious to the creature.

"We always heard stories of crocodiles, but I have never come across one in my 34 years of canoeing," he said.

Deyzel said he didn't believe canoeists had anything to fear.

Numerous paddlers, preparing for the Dusi Canoe Marathon next month have informed race organisers that they had seen an "old looking" crocodile with a knobbly snout.

Deyzel said the crocodile he spotted matched this description.

Ray de Vries, spokesperson for the Dusi, said there had been a number of sightings over the past two months further up the river, but few photos to back up the claims.

Now, however, wildlife authorities will be called in to discuss how to handle the crocodile situation.

"Just four weeks ago a farmer a few hundred metres up river of the N2 reported that he was nearly attacked," De Vries said.

Farmer Nivash Dhookran, 37, who lives in Reservoir Hills, said he was nearly taken by a crocodile. "I was picking herbs and the next thing I saw this thing open its mouth to bite me. I ran like hell and called people who confirmed that it was a crocodile and we managed to take a picture with a cellphone."

Dhookran has lived in the area for 30 years and had never seen a crocodile there before. His picture showed the tail of the crocodile as it retreated.

Residents say the reptile has made random appearances, which they noticed after a number of Egyptian geese had disappeared from the river, and "the carp were going crazy in the water".

De Vries said the organisers were requesting all paddlers leave the reptile alone if they came across it, and to report any sightings.

"We will report it to the authorities who will hopefully catch it before the event in 29 days' time," De Vries said.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife would be called in, said De Vries, and if captured it would be given to a crocodile farm.

"It appears to be a well-fed crocodile and I am concerned about the birdlife in the Umgeni area, which is very diverse," De Vries said.

He said the recent rains may have played a part in crocodiles being washed down from the upper Umgeni and Albert Falls Dam areas.

http://www.dailynews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20091222124121723C498701

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Australia) 22 December 09 'Lizard smuggler' pleads not guilty (Peter Mitchell)

(AAP) A Los Angeles reptile salesman facing up to 20 years' jail for allegedly smuggling 15 protected lizards from Australia to the US by strapping them to his chest is "hoping for a favourable outcome".

Michael Plank, 40, entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charge in the US District Court on Monday.

Plank was stopped by US Customs officers at Los Angeles international airport last month after arriving on a flight from Australia.

A search revealed 11 skinks, two geckos and two monitor lizards inside two money belts strapped to Plank's chest, authorities allege.

The lizards were estimated to be worth $US8,500 ($A9,541) and, according to court documents, Plank told US authorities he collected them in the wild while in Australia.

Plank's lawyer Larry M Bakman told AAP his client had never been in trouble with the law and was hoping for a favourable outcome in court.

"It is always stressful when this happens to someone who has never been in trouble before," Bakman replied when asked how Plank was dealing with the smuggling charge and international media exposure the case has generated.

Court documents allege Plank admitted to US authorities he was the owner of California-based reptile sales business Big Game Reptiles and smuggled reptiles from Europe to America previously.

The Big Game Reptiles website was shut down after Plank's arrest.

It promoted itself as "a world leader in the breeding of Australian geckos" and offered a variety of lizards for sale, including an adult pair of soft spiny-tailed geckos, common in southwest West Australia, for $US1,000 ($A1,122) and babies for $US350 ($A393) each.

Plank's travel records show he made eight trips to Australia in six years, US authorities allege.

Plank is charged with fraudulently and knowingly importing lizards into the US.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/lizard-smuggler-pleads-not-guilty-20091222-lakp.html

DAIJI WORLD (India) 22 December 09 Snake-Catcher Joy Mascarenhas Rescues 11-ft Long King Cobra

Beltangady: Joy Mascarenhas, a snake catcher for nearly a decade, rescued 11-feet long king cobra gth at Mundoor, near here, recently.

The king cobra was later handed over to wildlife authorities at Pilikula Nisargadhama, Vamanjoor in Mangalore. Joy has caught 24 king cobras out of which 15 were handed over to the care of Pilikula Nisargadhama and rest released into the forests at Charmady Ghat near here. The maximum length of king cobra caught by Joy was 12 feet in length. The maximum length of python that Joy caught was 10 feet 2 inches.

Joy so far caught 351 reptiles in all that includes 23 cobras, 26 pythons, 24 king cobras and 48 other poisonous snakes.

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=69960&n_tit=Beltangady%3A+Snake-Catcher+Joy+Mascarenhas+Rescues+11-ft+Long+King+Cobra

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Australia) 22 December 09 Tortoise wins race of her life (Erik Jensen)

In a last-minute reprieve, the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has decided not to kill an endangered tortoise its officers had said they would destroy today.

The African spurred tortoise, the only one of its kind in Australia, was left in front of the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford this month. It was healthy and attached to its box was a simple note: ''Please take care of me.''

But when the zoo contacted the state authorities to begin the process of quarantine for the tortoise, it was told it would have to be killed. Disease was a concern. The reptile's origin was unknown.

''This is an illegally internationally trafficked animal,'' the department said.

Rangers were to arrive today to take the tortoise. Yesterday its keepers were saying their final goodbyes. It was domesticated and they had grown attached to it.

''I can't understand it,'' the zoo's general manager, Mary Rayner, told the Herald.

''There are quite a few tears at the thought of this happening. We can't stop the rangers. They will request the animal and they will take it.''

But then the department changed its mind. After being contacted by the Herald, a spokesman telephoned the zoo to say the tortoise was safe.

''We're so excited and so thankful,'' the tortoise's keeper, Liz Vella, said. ''She is a very affectionate tortoise.''

Zoo staff have called the tortoise Libby, short for Liberty. She is likely to be in quarantine for 90 days, after which she is expected to go on public display.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/tortoise-wins-race-of-her-life-20091221-la2g.html

LEDGER INDEPENDENT (Maysville, Kentucky) 22 December 09 Two men arrested after stealing pet lizard (Melinda Charles)

Morehead: Two men were arrested and jailed after they stole a lizard and tried to pawn it for alcohol, according to police.

David Martt, 44, of Hillsboro and his son, 18-year-old Harley D. Martt of Morehead, were charged with theft by unlawful taking under $500 on Dec. 16 after allegedly taking a bearded dragon from a Morehead veterinary clinic and then trying to pawn and trade the reptile for liquor.

According to reports, the men entered Eagles Landing Pet Hospital in Morehead Wednesday afternoon. While one man attempted to make an appointment for a puppy, the other wandered around the lobby. Shortly after, a volunteer discovered the 18-inch lizard, worth approximately $350, was missing from its aquarium. The incident was recorded by video surveillance cameras.

Officers with the Morehead Police Department began searching for the lizard around 2 p.m. the same day after receiving a tip a pair of men tried to pawn a reptile at JB's Gun and Pawn, also in Morehead. When the pawn attempt failed, the men proceeded to Freight Station and First Street Liquors where they tried to trade the lizard for liquor, police said. All four businesses are located within a few blocks of one another on in Morehead.

Police apprehended the pair at 3:40 p.m. when they were seen entering apartments on Bridge Street.

The lizard, known as "Big," is recovering at the veterinary clinic. Because he is a desert creature, Big sustained severe hypothermia, employees said.

David Martt is still being lodged at the Rowan County Detention Center. Harley Martt, who was also charged with failure to appear, citation for a misdemeanor, was released from RCDC on Monday.

http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2009/12/22/local_news/doc4b305d38aa673154031245.txt

MILLIYET (Ankara, Turkey) 22 December 09 Anne kuşun dramı (Diş Haberler)

Peru’nun Amazon bölgesinde Yarapa Nehri kıyısında bir kızıl ağaçkakanın ağaçtaki oyukta yavrularına saldıran 3 metrelik yılanla girdiği ölümüne kavga, annelik içgüdüsünün ne denli güçlü olduğunu ortaya koydu.

Bölgeyi gezen İsrailli mühendis Assaf Admoni tarafından görüntülenen kavga yaklaşık 4 dakika sürdü. Yılan, kavga sırasında anne kuşu 5 kez ısırdı. Her defasında yılana tekrar saldıran kuş, aldığı yaralarla yere düştü.

http://www.milliyet.com.tr/Yasam/HaberDetay.aspx?aType=HaberDetay&KategoriID=5&ArticleID=1176735&PAGE=1

INFORÁDIÓ (Budapest, Hungary) 22 December 09 Harkály és kígyó küzdelme - nézze meg! (Daily Telegraph)

Több lélegzetelállító fotó is készült arról a fakopáncsról, amely saját magát feláldozva próbálta megvédeni a fészkét és fiókáit egy kígyóval szemben.

Assaf Admoni júniusban Peruban nyaralt, ahol lenyűgöző fotókat készített egy harkályról, amint az próbálja védelmezni fészkét, és benne a fiókáit egy kígyó elöl.

A kígyó feltehetően akkor kúszott be a fészekbe, amikor a madár élelmet ment gyűjteni fiókáinak. Visszatérve ahogy megpillantotta a ragadozót, azonnal nekiesett.

Az izraeli turista elővette fényképezőgépét, és lencsevégre kapta, ahogy a két állat küzd egymással. A kígyó, amelynek sikerült egy kismadarat kivenni a fészekből, többször is megmarta a harkályt. A madár a közel ötperces küzdelem után elhagyta a helyszínt, és nagy valószínűség szerint súlyos sérülései miatt elpusztult.

Elképesztő volt látni, ahogy feláldozta magát a kicsinyeiért. Az idegenvezetőnk azt mondta, hogy a madár sorsa megpecsételődött, mert sérülései és a vér szaga miatt a ragadozók könnyű zsákmányává válhatott - mondta az izraeli férfi.

http://inforadio.hu/hir/eletmod/hir-322992

EXPRESSEN (Stockholm, Sweden) 22 December 09 Reptilattack mot hackspettsmamma (Sofia Johansson)

Hackspettsmamman försökte skydda sina ungar från ormen. Det slutade med att hon blev biten - fem gånger.

Hon såg ut att offra sig själv helt och hållet, säger Assaf Admoni, 38, som fångade kampen på bild.

Slagsmålet mellan hackspetten och ormen, en olivfärgad piskorm, utspelade sig i cirka fyra minuter. Fågeln försökte upprepade gånger att jaga bort ormen från trädet.

Det verkade som hon skulle göra vad som helst, säger ingenjören Admoni som var i Amazonas.

Vi tror att den letade efter ägg eller ungar. När hackspetten kom hem upptäckte hon ormen flyttat in.

Höll den i munnen

En gång fångade ormen fågeln och höll fast den i munnen innan den lät den falla till marken.

Det såg verkligen ut som att mamman agerade helt desperat utifrån sin modersinstinkt. Hon rusade upp för trädet och attackerade ormen.

Till slut gav hackspetten upp - och försvann.

Hon såg väldigt skadad ut. Vi vet inte vad som hände med henne sen.

{Video link at URL below}

http://www.expressen.se/Nyheter/1.1822449/reptilattack-mot-hackspettsmamma

DÂN TRÍ (Hanoi, Vietnam) 22 December 09 Cuộc chiến quyết liệt giữa rắn và chim gõ kiến (Ninh Nhi)

Cuộc chiến hiếm gặp giữa một con chim gõ kiến và "kẻ đột nhập" - một con rắn dài 3m - đã được ghi lại trong vùng rừng Amazon.

Cuộc đối đầu diễn ra sau khi con rắn chiếm tổ của chim gõ kiến trên cây. Con chim mào đỏ thẫm đã nhiều lần cố gắng "tống cổ" con rắn ra khỏi nhà của mình nhưng bị con rắn cắn lại tới 5 lần.

Mỗi lần như vậy, con rắn màu ôliu đều dùng miệng giữ lấy con chim nhỏ và thả nó rơi xuống đất.

Sau trận chiến kéo dài khoảng 4 phút, con chim bị thương nặng đành phải bỏ tổ và nhiều khả năng sẽ chết vì những vết thương hoặc bị dã thú ăn thịt.

Assaf Admoni, 38 tuổi, một kỹ sư thành phố Herzelia, Israel đã chụp được những hình ảnh hiếm gặp về cuộc chiến giữa chim gõ kiến và rắn trong chuyến du lịch trên sông Yarapa ở Peru hồi tháng 6 vừa rồi.

“Con chim gõ kiến trở về thì thấy con rắn đã bò vào tổ lúc nó đang đi vắng. Tôi đoán là con rắn muốn tìm trứng hoặc những con chim non”.

“Có vẻ như con chim cái đã hành động giống một người mẹ bảo vệ con mình. Nhiều lần nó cố trèo lên cây và tấn công con rắn. Còn con rắn thì không vui về điều đó và liên tục tấn công lại con chim”.

Admoni nói anh rất khâm phục về sự kiên trì của con chim. “Điều khiến chúng tôi ngạc nhiên là con chim dường như đã hi sinh bản thân mình cho những con chim non mà chúng tôi đoán đang ở bên trong tổ. Nó sẵn sàng làm bất kỳ điều gì để đuổi kẻ tấn công ra khỏi tổ”.

Nhưng Admoni nói thêm: “Con chim gõ kiến cuối cùng cũng đã phải chịu thua. Trông nó có vẻ rất đau đớn. Các hướng dẫn viên của chúng tôi nói rằng con chim phải rời đi vì mùi máu có thể khiến nó dễ trở thành mục tiêu của các dã thú khác. Chúng tôi không biết điều gì sẽ xảy ra với con chim sau đó”.

http://dantri.com.vn/c132/s132-368890/cuoc-chien-quyet-liet-giua-ran-va-chim-go-kien.htm

THE TOWN TALK (Alexandria, Louisiana) 21 December 09 Louisiana snake breeder says he's in Oakdale to stay (Bret H. McCormick)

Oakdale: David Beauchemin has set up shop and has no plans to go anywhere.

Beauchemin, who lives on Ward Road just south of Oakdale in Allen Parish, has run a snake breeding farm over the Internet, HighEndHerps.com, with wife Tawni for the past several years.

The Web site bills itself as "the most trusted name in private high-end reptile breeding."

But the business has drawn its share of complaints from around Allen Parish, said Grant Willis, the chief deputy for the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office.

Willis said law enforcement officers in the parish are well aware of the Beauchemins and their business.

Sheriff's deputies have received complaints "in spurts" -- mostly what Willis termed "rumors" about missing dogs and cats that people say the couple has taken to feed their snakes.

When the Beauchemins first arrived in Allen Parish about four years ago, there were plenty of complaints. As time passed, they died down, but Willis said the complaints have picked up again recently.

"We try to check into all complaints and try to validate them," Willis said.

So far, however, deputies have been unable to verify any broken laws.

The Beauchemins keep their property gated off with plenty of "no trespassing" signs plastered throughout the wooded area.

Without probable cause, Willis said, authorities cannot go beyond the Beauchemins' gate to see precisely what is taking place back in the woods.

"It appears the guy abides by all of the laws," Willis said. "Louisiana has very vague laws. That's one of the reasons the guy moved here."

Beauchemin, who didn't respond to attempts to contact him, specializes in high-end snake species such as pythons, boa constrictors and anacondas. High End Herps even advertises its own "creation" -- a pastel ceylonese python "morph" that had been specifically bred at the Allen Parish snake farm.

High End Herps lists a number of different breeds of snakes available through its Web site, ranging from $175 to more than $6,000. Its special python "morph" costs $2,500.

Lt. Jesse Savoie with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said the state has specific laws for trafficking local reptiles, but there aren't any laws pertaining to the type of business being run by the Beachemins.

"This is really new territory," Savoie said. "Now with the advance of time and the procurement of exotic species throughout the world, this guy can get a hold of exotic species from afar. With FedEx and UPS, with the shipping industry as it is, there's little problem for him to procure exotic species. It's new territory for the state of Louisiana because laws have not been enacted."

Savoie said the trafficking of exotic species "is a problem that is expanding" and one that the state might need to look into addressing with new laws. For now, though, the LDWF has no issues with High End Herps.

"We have no evidence that he is trafficking native species," Savoie said.

The authorities do hear the complaints from the public, who seem to have a problem with the Beauchemins' business, however.

"Down on the field level, there is no problem. However, the public is the one that is calling in expressing they have a problem with it," Savoie said. "That's the source of the controversy -- the public. They have a problem with it, and maybe some of his alleged activities."

Despite the controversy, the tone on the Beauchemins' Web site suggests they have no plans to stop doing business.

"This is not just a business or a means of an income to us," the Web site reads. "It is more about these amazing animals and the truly wonderful people that keep them. This IS our life and we live it 24 hours a day every day of every year."

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20091221/NEWS01/912210324/1002/Louisiana-snake-breeder-says-he-s-in-Oakdale-to-stay

STAR-TELEGRAM (Fort Worth, Texas) 21 December 09 1,000 more animals seized from exotic pet dealer die (Susan Schrock)

Arlington: Another 1,000 animals seized from a north Arlington exotic pet dealer last week have died, in addition to 600 found dead at the facility, according to testimony Monday in Arlington Municipal Court.

In the second day of an administrative hearing to determine custody of the animals, experts testified that the more than 26,000 animals housed there lacked food and water, medical care and appropriate environments.

And the company’s handful of employees would not have been able to care for that number of animals, two veterinarians said.

Such conditions amount to cruelty, they said.

"It is my understanding there were three people taking care of over 26,000 animals. This is completely impossible. There isn’t time in a 24-hour day to do that," said Dr. Janet Martin, one of the vets brought in by the city to care for the seized animals.

Martin, who oversees care for the mammals taken from U.S. Global Exotics, said five wallabies at the facility were loose in a room where bedding material had been thrown on a tile floor. The room was filled with feces and flies, Martin said. The only food in the room was moldy carrots.

Martin also said that all of the animals tested so far had parasite infestations.

But an attorney representing the pet dealer stressed that the facility was a temporary holding site and that the containers in which the animals were housed were appropriate for the short term.

Lance Evans, an attorney representing the company’s owners, Jasen and Vanessa Shaw, said that the animals were captured in the wild and could have arrived with the infestations. The Shaws did not attend Monday’s hearing.

Evans also said that the company is a wholesaler and that the animals were kept in temporary housing that was never intended to imitate their natural settings.

He also questioned whether the stress of transporting the animals from the business to their current location may have contributed to the deaths of the additional 1,000 animals, especially the temperature-sensitive reptiles and amphibians that were moved on a cold day.

"Two hundred a day since you guys seized them with 24 people caring for them 12 hours a day?" Evans asked. "You’ve got more dead in five days than the total you had when you went in there."

Dr. Timothy Tristan, a veterinarian brought in by the city to assess the health of other animals, said it was his opinion that the animals that died after being removed from the company had succumbed to the effects of chronic neglect, not the move. At least 80 of them were euthanized.

Tristan said many of the animals at the business were already being kept at inappropriate temperatures, including some iguanas and snakes kept in areas at least 40 degrees below what they require to function.

His testimony was illustrated with photos of large spiders in tiny plastic containers with no food or water. Tristan said that some of the spiders couldn’t stretch their legs in the tight quarters and that some venomous spiders had pushed the tops off of containers and were loose in the building.

He also showed photos of plastic soda bottles filled with up to 50 tree frogs that also lacked food or water.

Testimony will continue today on whether the animals are to be returned to the Shaws or remain in city custody.

The animals were seized Dec. 15 after an undercover worker for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals tipped authorities to conditions.

http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1846847.html

ASBURY PARK PRESS (New Jersey) 21 December 09 DEP says northern pine snake still threatened

Builders association sought to have snake removed from list (Kirk Moore)

The northern pine snake is rightly considered a threatened species in New Jersey because development continues to overtake the snakes' habitat, despite strict building controls in the Pinelands region, the state Department of Environmental Protection said, in rejecting a petition from the New Jersey Builders Association to have pine snakes removed from the threatened and endangered species list.

"Our analysis shows that within New Jersey a wide range of threats exist, and many of these threats are increasing,'' wrote authors of a new DEP pine snake assessment, undertaken in response to the builders' challenge. Snakes are killed by road traffic and eaten by predators like feral cats and skunks that thrive side-by-side with people, the report says.

Most importantly the snakes are losing suitable habitat to development and, inside the Pinelands protected areas, decades of forest fire suppresion is likely reducing the open, sandy forest floor habitat most favorable to the snakes, the authors say. Illegal snake collecting for sale to reptile enthusiasts continues to be a major threat despite recent attempts at enforcement crackdowns, they write.

The Builders Association petition filed six months ago questioned how pine snakes could be considered threatened without a comprehensive population survey, and criticized the DEP's periodic reviews of species status for not seeking out more outside expertise.

In its response, the agency maintains that habitat modeling is a scientifically justified proxy for counting snakes, and one used by other wildlife agencies that monitor pine snakes. DEP officials also defend their reviews of species status over the years, saying they have sought the advice of independent researchers and academics. While some of those reviewers were not pine snake specialists they were familiar with reptiles and principles of wildlife conservation biology, the agency said.

On the Web: DEP pine snake report at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/pine_snake_assessment09.pdf

http://www.app.com/article/20091221/NEWS/91221063/DEP-says-northern-pine-snake-still-threatened

TORONTO LIFE (Ontario) 21 December 09 Snake charming: Daniel Espinosa cobra cocktail ring

Reptiles have always creeped us out, but we’re reconsidering our aversion after finding this cobra ring ($565), part of the Myths and Fantasies collection from Daniel Espinosa. The stones, hand-set cubic zirconia fused with different metals to achieve the rich colours, sit on a base of sterling silver (both regular and oxidized, for a black finish) and 24-karat gold. Serpentine jewellery is all the rage right now, from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s line for British luxury goods retailer Asprey to the more affordable rings at Club Monaco. Snake handling has never been more glamorous.

Daniel Espinosa at the Four Seasons Hotel, 21 Avenue Rd., 416-323-9127, danielespinosa.com.

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/style/the-find/2009/12/21/snake-charming-daniel-espinosa-cobra-cocktail-ring/

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 21 December 09 Woodpecker takes on 10ft snake in heroic struggle for nest

Photo: After a fight lasting about four minutes, the wounded bird left the area and is likely to have died of its injuries or been killed by a predator. (Barcroft)

The crimson crested woodpecker made repeated attempts to drive the snake out of the tree and was bitten by the snake five times.

On each occasion the snake, thought to be an olive whipsnake, held the much smaller bird in its mouth and then let it fall to the ground below.

Assaf Admoni, 38, an engineer from Herzelia in Israel, took the pictures while holidaying on the Yarapa River in Peru in June.

“We think it [the snake] was looking for eggs or chicks and the woodpecker arrived to find it had moved in while she was away,” he said.

“It really looked like the female was acting frantically out of maternal instinct. She just kept racing up the tree and attacking the snake on its side.

“The snake wasn’t very happy about that. It kept lunging at her and it landed its strike every time.”

He said he had been impressed by the bird’s persistence.

“What amazed me most was that she completely seemed to sacrifice herself for the chicks we think were inside,” Mr Admoni said.

“It seemed like she would do anything to try and get this thing out of her nest.”

But he added: “The woodpecker eventually left. She looked very hurt. Our guides told us she was doomed because smelling of blood would make her an easy target other predators. We don’t know what happened to her in the end.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6852402/Woodpecker-takes-on-10ft-snake-in-heroic-struggle-for-nest.html

DAILY MERCURY (Mackay, Australia) 21 December 09 Woman bitten by 1.84m taipan (Fallon Hudson)

It was the last thing Cathryn Bishop thought she would find hiding in her veggie patch.

Mrs Bishop was doing a spot of gardening and picking tomatoes in the backyard of her Nindaroo home when a 1.84 metre taipan bit her on her right hand.

After she realised she had been bitten she said she was able to survive the bite thanks to learning a lifesaving first aid procedure.

“Thankfully, many years ago I had learnt what to do from Ram Chandra and it probably saved my life,” Mrs Bishop said.

“That and the professionalism and expertise of the team at the Mackay Base Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

“I’m still feeling the after effects, but will gradually recover.”

Mrs Bishop said she wanted to issue a warning to be very careful at this time of year while the hot weather and mating season are in full swing.

“We have lived in Nindaroo for 35 years and have never worried about these snakes. They would always go their way,” Mrs Bishop said.

“Unbeknown to me this snake was trapped in some bird netting used to cover the vegetable patch, protecting the vegetables from our local crew of scrub turkeys, and so the snake felt threatened.

“I didn’t see it and the rest is history,” she said.

She said it was important to remind people about first aid and wanted to share her tips on how she overcame a taipan bite.

Her first step is to not wash the wound because doctors need to swab it to determine the type of snake, and thus give the correct antivenom. Also do not cut, or otherwise interfere with the bite.

The second step is as soon as possible, bandage the limb. First put a pressure pad over the bite, for example a folded bit of cloth. Then bandage over this and the whole limb firmly, but not so tight as to cut off the circulation.

“Some say to bandage up the limb and down, some shoulder/hip to hand/foot. Doesn’t matter that much- just get it on,” she said.

Mrs Bishop said this procedure is to retard the lymphatic flow which is just under the skin and carries much of the venom to the body. If bitten on the trunk or face, still apply the pressure pad at least. This means that it is advisable to have bandages handy as part of your working kit if you are in the bush or garden.

Also have a mobile phone and/or access to co-ordinate finding equipment. The next step is to ring and arrange for transport. If possible let the transport come to you and keep the bitten limb hanging down, so the venom cannot gravity feed back to your body.

She said you should try not to contract the limb muscles, so that you don’t pump the venom through the body. Keep the limb hanging down and very relaxed.

“Finally, if bitten, splint the part if you can to keep it still. Also stay quiet; don’t run about because if you do, it will pump the venom through very quickly,” she said.

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2009/12/21/taipan-bite-beaten-by-chandra-advice/

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 21 December 09 Terror returns to Chambal in python form

Kanpur: Chambal Valley-- the region once infamous for breeding outlaws like Nirbhay Gujjar, Phoolan Devi, Tehsildar Singh and Malkhan Singh-- is now facing an unusual enemy these days. The region is now teeming with pythons who have made a home in the ravines of the Chambal.

From wildlife experts to snake-charmers to cops, all are converging in the ravines to catch pythons as the region has witnessed nearly 30 incidents of pythons creeping into the residential areas of Etawah and Mainpuri districts including Bhadawari Farm, Kuanra, Lakhna, Chipaity, Bakewar, District Jail premises, Naurangabad, Pakkabagh, Forest Rest House, Sahson, Bithauli, Sarangpura and Sut Mill.

On late Friday night, high drama ensued after locals came across a python in the Civil Lines area of the district. The locals called the police, who summoned the rescue team of wildlife experts and NGOs and asked them to remove the eight-ft-long python from the site.

"People of around two dozen villages of the area have started keeping a vigil on their young ones and cattle because of the pythons," informed Rajiv Chauhan, secretary, Society for Conservation of Nature.

"In Sahson's Ajeet Ki Gadhiya village, which was directly linked with dacoits, a 15-ft-long python tried to swallow a young girl- Mandodari- while she was in the fields," he claimed.

The rescue team disclosed that python were mostly found in forests and were a Schedule-1 animal under the Wildlife Protection Act. Wildlife experts informed that the python came from the adjourning forest areas of Chambal.

"The snake we rescued on Friday is a healthy specimen and it is the 19th time in the past few days that we have rescued such a huge python from the residential areas. We have been releasing pythons in the Reserved Forest area. We also appreciate the efforts of the police and the patience of the residents who ensured the safety of the snake and helped us to rescue many pythons in time," said Dr Chauhan.

Similarly, thousands of people of Sadhopura village witnessed what most people watch on Discovery channels. It was the rarest of rare site. A 15-foot Indian python had squeezed the life out of a 30-kg domestic goat who was then swallowed.

The whole goat was swallowed and the reptile disappeared in the jungles.

"Like any other day, a farmer in Sadhopur village had taken his goats to the jungles for grazing. One of the goats strayed. He never knew a python, about 15-ft, was lying in waiting. The man launched a search for his goat. And to his horror, he saw the python swallowing his goat," recalled Dr Chauhan.

Sources in the wildlife department said pythons (a nocturnal creature) drape across tree branches, camouflaged by their skin, wait to ambush their next meal. A large python could squeeze the life out of a deer and could then swallow it whole. "Pythons rarely attack humans but they are capable of doing the same," said a forest official. A python may live more than 25 years, he added.

As per wildlife experts, pythons are solitary creatures, but males and females seek each other out to mate. The female coils about her eggs to incubate them. Young pythons have many natural enemies, including eagles, crocodiles, large cats such as leopards and tigers and hyenas.

Causes of endangerment of the species include their killing. Humans had been killing pythons out of fear, for food, skins and blood believed to have medical values and of course the on the account of habitat loss.

For all one's inclination to believe that Chambal is directly linked to dacoits. It is difficult to ignore the fact that the region, in fact, has a varied topography and includes dense forests to rivers like Yamuna and Chambal. No wonder too that its wildlife is so rich in variety, including from the ghariyals, cheetal, sambhar, fishing cat, jackal, hyena to endless varieties of deer, monkeys, reptiles including python and a profusion of bird-life that includes water-birds.

On pythons intruding residential areas, Dr Chauhan reveals that it is due to depletion in forest cover. The wild animals are now meandering in populated areas to meet routine requirements. "It is due to the shortage in feed as the python mostly prey on mammals, birds and reptiles indiscriminately, but prefer mammals," added Shyam Babu Mishra, a forest ranger while talking to TOI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Terror-returns-to-Chambal-in-python-form/articleshow/5363265.cms

THE PROVINCE (Vancouver, British Columbia) 20 December 09 Despite tunnels, many amphibians flattened while trying to cross highway, experts say (Clare Ogilvie)

The $600-million upgrade to the Sea-to-Sky Highway is a death trap for thousands of red-legged frogs and other animals.

Two kilometres of the new highway was built through the frogs' migratory path in a wetland area near Pinecrest, 15 minutes south of Whistler.

Steps taken by the highway developer, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Environment to save the amphibians, a threatened species, don't seem to have worked.

The efforts include passageways built under the highway and short netting fences installed along the edge of the road to guide the frogs into the tunnels.

"My sense of it is that they are not working very well for frogs," said Joshua Malt, an ecosystems biologist with the Ministry of Environment.

"I did . . . surveys and walked the highway and counted dead frogs -- and I counted over 200 amphibian mortalities in the summer season from spring to fall.

"However, the actual number is likely to be much larger."

The frogs were flattened while crossing the road. (When tadpoles metamorph into frogs, they go in search of new habitat.)

Many salamanders and frogs climbed the fences, went underneath or went around, said Malt.

"If you look at the distribution of roadkill, there is not less roadkill next to the passages," he said.

"It is all over the place, so clearly, the fencing isn't stopping them."

The situation has been on the radar of John Buchanan for months. The long-time Squamish resident and wildlife researcher said he doesn't understand how it was allowed to happen.

"I have to ask why [the transport ministry] was allowed to construct a highway there in the first place," he said.

"As soon as you fragment frog habitat, it will be a death scene.

"It is clear to me that the environment just got tossed aside.

"I don't know if a local extinction has happened here, but I am starting to lean toward that as a possibility."

Frogs are not the only animals living -- and dying -- along the upgraded highway. Deer, bears, small mammals such as skunks, weasels, coyotes, raccoons and ducks live along it. As the highway was upgraded, different types of passageways were created at various locations to help migration from one side to the other.

Results have been mixed, said Malt, who is still hopeful.

"I think that the small- and medium-sized mammals . . . seem to be quite fine with using them.

"But the bear and the deer . . . they check it out, they go in and go out, but I haven't seen anything go through. So they are a bit more hesitant."

The latest statistics, from 1998 to 2007, show that six bears,12 coyotes, 69 deer,16 raccoons and 15 other types of animals have been killed by vehicles between Squamish and Pemberton.

Buchanan believes the numbers are higher, as these account for only the ones highway workers remove. And, he believes, the numbers will go up as more cars drive the road at greater speeds and wildlife is trapped by the new concrete, centre-line barrier system.

Angela Buckingham, chief biologist for the transportation ministry, said fencing along the highway is impractical. There are 72 access points to the highway and each one of those would need a gate or a cattle guard.

"We did certainly consider it for this corridor, but it was not workable," she said, adding that well over $2 million has been spent on studies and mitigation for wildlife and that further studies will be done on how to prevent animal deaths along the route.

Meanwhile, Buchanan said the wildlife carnage is worse than he's ever seen.

"I have lived in Squamish my whole life and I have never seen the type of wildlife kill, ever, that has been going on in the last year or so on the road," he said.

"You [fence] this because it is the right thing to do."

http://www.canada.com/technology/Frogs+losers+upgrade/2364082/story.html

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 20 December 09 Poachers held for selling exotic snake

Noida: Four persons were arrested for trying to sell a rare specimen of snake to a Delhi-based businessman at an astounding Rs 45 lakh.

AK Singh, SSP (Gautambudh Nagar), said the snake costs about Rs 1 crore in the local market. The police said the poachers were Anees, Rohtas, Suresh and Shanti Chandra. "We had information that the poachers were coming to Delhi from Noida to hand over the exotic Brown Sand Boa. Since such snakes are not found in India, we suspect it has been smuggled into the country,'' the police said.

The accused are residents of Bahgpat. The snake is believed to possess medicinal properties.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Poachers-held-for-selling-exotic-snake/articleshow/5357193.cms

HINDUSTAN TIMES (New Delhi, India) 20 December 09 Environmentalists, scientists concerned over vanishing alligators (V K Tripathi)

The Ghariyal or alligator, the vanishing reptile of the Indian waters, is now under the scanner of scientists and environmentalists.

A team of scientists from across the globe, representing different organisations, will set out on a navigational survey of the Gandak river from Triveni on the Indo-Nepal border on December 25 to study and map habitat of ghariyals along the 200- kilometre stretch to the river's confluence with the Ganga near Hajipur. Ghariyals have been declared critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in 2008.

The IUCN, the lead agency-the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of India and other organisations such as Wildlife Trust of India, Multi Ghariyal Task Force, Department of Forests and Environment, Bihar and Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) are part of the joint research project.

During the three-week journey, the scientists would also study the status of dolphin, turtle and otter during the three-week trip being undertaken on country boats equipped with high-power cameras and other instruments needed to assess water chemistry.

Chief Wildlife Warden, BA Khan, told Hindustan Times that the recommendations of the study would help shifting the freshly bred ghariyals in captivity in Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park to natural habitats. Director of Valmiki Tiger Reserve Project, JP Gupta added that the findings would help maintain the biodiversity in the river eco-systems of Bihar.

The project team leader, Dr Sunil Chaudhary of TMBU, said depleting numbers of ghariyals inhabiting the Gandak and Chambal rivers was an issue of concern to the WWF and other organizations. It would be the first holistic approach to study their status in Bihar, he said.

He said unchecked sand and pebble mining in the Narayani - the other name of the Gandak- had pushed this majestic species onto the verge of extinction. Ghariyal’s prefer uneven riverbeds with wide space for basking which Gandak and Chambal provide to them. Only in odd situation like floods, they moved to the Ganga.

Fishermen also used to kill the alligators for their skin used by leather manufacturing factories in Uttar Pradesh.

The study team would include Dr Asgar Nawab of WWF, Dr Samir of Wildlife Trust of India, B Basu of Multi-Ghariyal Task Force and representatives of IUCN that include expert on aquatic life, Rom Whittaker.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/patna/Environmentalists-scientists-concerned-over-vanishing-alligators/Article1-488286.aspx

MARCO EAGLE (Florida) 20 December 09 Snakes in the ’Glades: Burmese pythons are here to stay, expert warns (Lance Shearer)

Everglades: Larry Perez cautions against sensationalism when considering the Burmese python population in the Everglades.

The facts alone are serious enough, the National Park Service science communications liaison said during a recent talk at Port of the Islands in Collier County.

Speaking to some 70 people gathered for a meeting of the Friends of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Perez showed a chart indicating an exponential growth rate in the number of the up-to-20-foot-long constrictors captured in the Everglades National Park and surrounding preserves.

“The first question everyone always asks is ‘how many are there?’” he said. “The truth is, we don’t know.”

Estimates of python population in the Everglades, he said, range from 5,500 snakes to 137,000.

In any event, Burmese pythons are here to stay. The climate and vegetation are ideal, food is plentiful, and the snakes have successfully vied with native alligators, the best hope for a natural control.

Of 367 known invasive species in South Florida, said Perez, only two have ever been fully eliminated.

“No biologist will say we have a snowball’s chance in hell of eradicating Burmese pythons,” he said.

In theory, he added, their range could spread over much of the southern one third of the U.S.

Perez told the group that, while there are no recorded attacks on humans by Burmese pythons in the Everglades, they must be considered dangerous. National Park personnel are cautioned that an 8-foot python could overpower an adult, and the snakes can attain that length in one year on their way to becoming a 200-pound, 20-footer.

Burmese pythons are ambush predators, lurking either in the water or on land until prey comes within reach. In their home range in Southeast Asia, they are considered apex predators, with no creature likely to attack an adult specimen.

A 12-foot python set down in the Everglades grasses, surrounded by biologists, was able to disappear within five seconds, he said.

“We would never find their nests without radio tracking,” Perez said.

Their preferred diet, based on examination of the stomach contents of captured – and killed, as they are – wild pythons in the Everglades, consists of 75 percent mammals and 25 percent birds. Rabbits, rodents, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and bobcats all fall victim to Burmese pythons, along with coots, ibis, and the occasional 5-foot alligator.

The 13 deaths in the U.S. from constrictor snakes since 1980 all came from pet snakes, said Perez, including the tragic killing of a 2-year-old girl by her parents’ 8-foot pet albino Burmese python in Oxford in Central Florida this past July.

Perez referred questions to or sought confirmation on some points from audience members, including former Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park manager Dennis Giardina, National Park Service wildlife biologist Deborah Jansen and Audubon Society naturalist John Elting.

While Burmese pythons almost certainly began breeding from pet snakes released into the Everglades, said Perez, laying blame at this point misses the point.

“The question is, ‘What can we do?’” Along with responsible ownership, he said, reporting sightings is key to understanding the python population. “Use your cell phone, your camera, your GPS,” he urged, to document and pinpoint the location of python interactions.

http://www.marconews.com/news/2009/dec/19/snakes-glades-burmese-pythons-are-here-stay-expert/

HILLS SHIRE TIMES (Castle Hill, Australia) 20 December 09 Hills backyards may turn turtle this summer (Therese Murray)

If you find a turtle in your backyard, don’t panic - it’s probably after a good feed.

Summer rains are a cue for freshwater turtles to leave their creeks and ponds to go walkabout to find food and they can turn up in funny places.

The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlifes Backyard Buddies program is all about getting more enjoyment from native animals in your backyard.

Foundation chief executive officer Leonie Gale said turtles move about in groups of up to several dozen.

“Heavy rains trigger this migration as can their home creek or lake drying up,” Ms Gale said.

“Turtles can walk up to 1km a day searching for their favourite foods: molluscs, crustaceans, tadpoles, and insects.

“However your resident turtle may be doing more than just having a snack. It may also be planning to start a family. If so, you’ll see it dig a deep hole before laying about 10 eggs which hatch up to four months later.”

Ms Gale said turtles represented patience and wisdom and were one of the most appealing animals of the reptile world.

“They are a much loved creature - cute when small and captivating when full grown. Freshwater turtles are renowned for their longevity with some species living up to 75 years,” she said.

Ms Gale said droughts do not stop the patient turtle.

When the water dries up, turtles shut down and breathe about once every two or three days. They can slow their growth to 1mm a decade and cut back on all energetic activities.

She said they wait for the rain to return and when it does, they navigate by the sun, landmarks and their sense of smell. They head to short-lived swamps which are full of edible goodies.

Ms Gale warned that if you find a turtle on the road and want to rescue it, be careful how you pick it up.

Turtles are armed with defensive scent glands above each leg. They can squirt a liquid with a stinking and persistent odour. Pick them up by the shell and hold them away from you so the liquid doesn’t touch you.

http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/hills-backyards-may-turn-turtle-this-summer/

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA (Chennai) 20 December 09 One held for keeping endangered snakes

Kalpetta: One person was today apprehended by forest officials for keeping endangered species of snakes at his residence in Kerala's Wayanad district.

Acting on a tip-off, 58-year-old Kunhu Muhammed was held by forest department for keeping eight rare Red Sandboa snakes at his residence at Chundale in the district, officials said.

During his interrogation, the man said the snakes were handed over to him by a person from Mysore recently and the reptiles were kept in a separate tank in a roof platform inside the building, DFO P K Sunil Kumar said, adding that Muhammed was remanded to judicial custody.

The reptiles were later released in Kurichiyad forests of Wayanad sanctuary.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/433049_One-held-for-keeping-endangered-snakes

PACKET & TIMES (Orillia, Ontario) 19 December 09 Scary looking but hognose needs help (Heidi Anderson)

Have you ever wondered what the different characteristics of snakes are? What makes each snake unique? It's important to know that all snakes are unique and differ in many ways. The eastern hognose snake has many different characteristics that are interesting.

Sometimes the eastern hognose is mistaken for a cobra because when threatened, it rears its head back and flattens its neck out and makes mock strikes (its mouth is closed). Even on the very rare chance that it was inclined to bite, the location of the teeth are at the back of the mouth, rendering the snake virtually harmless to humans and potential predators.

Plus, the eastern hognose is a nonvenomous snake. So really, the hognose snake is just an actor trying to portray its much more dangerous counterpart. The snake can also roll over and "play dead" if it feels threatened. There are many aspects that set it apart.

In terms of its physical features, the snake has an upturned nose that it uses to burrow into sandy soils. Hence, the name, hognose.

They have black patches just behind their heads and a relatively thick body. What's more, they love to eat toads. I do not recommend this choice of meal as the hognose is resistant to the toxins that the toad contains.

This highly interesting reptile is greatly threatened and a species at risk in Ontario. It's threatened because of the loss of sandy woodlands and oak savannas where they typically make their home.

Human misunderstanding is a big concern, as well. Its size, large head and overall appearance make many humans think these snakes are poisonous and a threat, especially when they perform their little "act."

This misunderstanding often results in harmless snakes being killed once discovered.

What is being done to help protect the hognose and other threatened snakes?

We can raise public awareness, conduct biological research (e. g. habitat use, conservation genetics), and improve our knowledge of the hognose snake's distribution.

What you can do to help is report any sightings of eastern hognose snakes, watch for snakes and all wildlife on roadways, and mostly importantly, leave snakes and their habitats alone.

Inform others about the eastern hognose snake and remember they are a legally protected species.

If we remain ignorant to the existence and true nature of this reptile, then we perpetuate fear.

Kids for Turtles Environmental Education is devoted to helping protect our species at risk by raising much-needed public awareness.

Our mission statement states: "To promote public awareness of wildlife habitats through environmental education".

To help support Kids for Turtles Environmental Education and the eastern hognose, please call our office at 325-5386.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2229243

CAIRNS POST (Australia) 19 December 09 Snake terror in kids' bedroom (Ben Blomfield)

A Cairns mum who found an aggressive snake poised above cots containing her two young children was kept at bay for 20 minutes until help arrived.

The 2m brown tree snake was discovered on a shelf between the woman’s two children, aged one and four, as they slept in their Westcourt home.

The mum, who asked not to be named, awoke to find the "big boof-head" snake coiled near her children about 10.50pm on Wednesday.

The snake, of a species known to be aggressive when confronted, immediately arched to strike when the woman turned on the light. She was woken by hearing books fall from the shelf.

As she attempted to reach her children, the snake lunged at her, forcing her back to the door while she waited for snake handlers to arrive. For 20 minutes she waited and watched as the snake moved close to her children.

"There was nothing I could do, I couldn’t get the kids because every time I went near them the snake would get into a striking position," she said.

"I’m just thankful the animal didn’t bite the babies, I wouldn’t have a clue what to do if it did.

"I just remember waking up and seeing this huge snake heading towards my babies, it was horrible."

Cairns Snake Removals operator David Walton removed the animal and said it was the biggest specimen of a brown tree snake he had ever encountered.

"It was very aggressive, it had about seven attempts at trying to bite me," he said.

"I’ve been bitten by one of them a couple of months ago, it was only a baby one but it hurt so much and I could feel the venom running through my body.

"They’re a rear-fanged snake so they need a good bite to inject their venom."

Snakes are more likely to enter homes during the summer months and residents have been advised to take precautions.

Cairns Snake Removals operates 24 hours and are available on 0408 331 700.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/12/19/83325_local-news.html

SIN CHEW DAILY (Malaysia) 19 December 09 A royal visit

Johor Bahru: An 18ft python has found its way into the Bukit Serene Palace in town, and swallowed up a 50kg female deer!

Weighing up to 160kg after the massive afternoon tea, the python required eight well-built men to lift it away.

This freak incident took place at about 5.00 p.m. Friday. The fearless reptile headed straight to the deer enclosure within the palace compound, and after gobbling up the victim, the culprit sat still on the lawn for a rest.

Seeing the crawling intruder, the palace gardener instantly alerted the fire and rescue department, whose people spent several hours to subdue the reptile before sending it off to the city zoo.

The creepy superstar drew a huge crowd at the zoo.

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/32986

BEACON STAR (Parry Sound, Ontario) 18 December 09 Anti-venom depot back (Sarah Bissonette)

Parry Sound is once again home to the anti-venom depot for Ontario.

Last summer, more than 14 people were bit by the massasauga rattlesnake in the province. Nine of those treated at the West Parry Sound Health Centre and healthcare officials scrambled to keep life-saving anti-venom available. The local health centre even borrowed anti-venom from a reptile zoo as it rushed to keep up with the bites.

Part of the problem was attributed to the fact the North East Local Health Integration Network (NELHIN), the funding agency for local health care, opted not to fund the anti-venom depot based at the Parry Sound health centre.

On Wednesday morning, after a busy summer of bites, the NELHIN rectified that, announcing $350,000 in annual funding to resume the purchasing and management of the province’s anti-venom supply at the Parry Sound hospital. The move reinstates the depot the hospital has run for six years without stable funding, and informally since 2005. The depot manages the serum for the entire province.

“We were sort of limping along, scrounging, making sure we were able to service it,” said health centre board chair Don Brickett of purchasing the anti-venom. “We were concerned these pressures would put us in a less desirable position in terms of budgeting.”

The price tag on each dose, or 12 vials of the anti-venom used to treat a single bite, is $20,000.

The return of a formal anti-venom hub, to not only manage the provincial supply but provide expertise on its administration, is news welcomed by McDougall Mayor Dale Robinson.

“It’s good news for residents and visitors to the area,” said Robinson. “I can speak as the mayor of McDougall and a cottager in Carling, it was disconcerting as we heard the number of bites increasing, the risk to their lives with the shortness of the supply.”

The massasauga rattlesnake is the only poisonous snake in the province. It lives along the shores of Georgian Bay, the Bruce Peninsula, the Wainfleet Bog and Windsor and, according to experts, only bites if it feels threatened.

The number of bites each year varies, but in the West Parry Sound District the busiest season was 2002 when 10 bites were treated in Parry Sound. The most common spots a snake sinks its fangs in are the ankle, foot, and hand.

The health centre reapplied pressure on the NELHIN, which distributes funding from the province, to resume its financial support of the depot this fall after the busy summer season, dubbed the “summer of the snake” by local NELHIN board representative Leah Welk.

After last summer’s bites, the hospital was out $120,000 because the LHIN didn’t provide the funding for the anti-venom, but the province has already covered half that amount and is expected to cover the rest.

Throughout the province there’s another $60,000 in anti-venom costs to cover from last summer, with some hospitals buying the cure on their own, said hospital pharmacist Heather Logan Lane.

The $350,000 in annual funding allows for the purchase of 12 doses. The health centre is currently out of stock.

http://www.parrysound.com/press/1261168426/

TORONTO SUN (Ontario) 18 December 09 Darth Vader now sees the light side - Pioneering eye operation helps snapping turtle (Sharon Lem)

"Darth Vader" has snapped back following a pioneering operation.

The elderly snapping turtle, aged somewhere between 50 and 75, is recovering at the Toronto Wildlife Centre following cataract surgery to its right eye.

On Aug. 15, members of the sailing Club Mimico near Parklawn Rd. and Lakeshore Blvd. called the centre to report that the turtle had not moved from its spot beside a parking lot gate in three days.

The rescue staff found it had lesions on its feet, there was dead tissue at the tip of its tail, its left eye was missing and its right eye had a cataract, said Nathalie Karvonen, the centre's executive director.

"Snapping turtles spend much of their time in water and they don't eat on land and need to rehydrate in the water, but he was lethargic and didn't move," she said.

Once treated for its lesions, the turtle was ready for cataract surgery. This type of cataract surgery is not known to have been tried before in a wild freshwater turtle.

Snapping turtles are one of Ontario's seven at-risk turtle species. They're known to live up to 100 years.

Veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Joseph Wolfer at the Animal Eye Clinic donated his time and operating costs to remove the cataract in an eight-hour operation Wednesday at his clinic.

"I've done cataract surgery on dogs, cats, birds and deer, but this was my first turtle and this was the biggest and oldest snapping turtle I've ever seen," Wolfer said.

"It was more difficult in that you can't lie him on his back or his side, so you have to turn his head sideways. But once he was anesthetized, I was able to get the cataract out fairly easily," he said, adding that the surgery was a success. "We kind of nicknamed him Darth Vader because of this low hissing noise he makes," Wolfer said.

Karvonen said the turtle will be kept at the centre until the spring, when he will be released into the wild.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/12/17/12194351.html#/news/torontoandgta/2009/12/18/pf-12197016.html

ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS (Alaska) 18 December 09 Wanted, dead or alive: Frogs riding north on Christmas trees (James Halpin)

Pacific chorus frogs have shown up in the Anchorage area, hitchhiking their way in on imported Christmas trees, and state wildlife officials want them turned in -- dead or alive.

While fish and game officials say the critters may not be a threat in and of themselves, there's a danger of diseases they could be carrying.

Reports of the amphibious invaders began surfacing in the past two weeks, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is urging residents to check their trees for "amphibious hitchhikers they may be unaware they purchased."

"These 'live ornaments' may seem like a bonus purchase, but they are outside their native range," said Tammy Davis, Invasive Species Program project leader for Fish and Game. "While we don't suspect they will become invasive, a greater concern is the risk to our native amphibians if they are carrying pathogens of concern."

Residents were urged to kill or surrender the stowaways when found. The recommended method of taking out a tiny croaker? A dose of toothache anesthetic to the head.

"The way to humanely euthanize them is to use an overdose of Orajel, and I think it just knocks them out," Davis said. "The other thing we were asking people to do is stick it in their freezer. I know that there are people who are not going to want to do that, but I'm sure people probably aren't going to go out and buy Orajel just so that they can humanely get rid of the frog that they didn't even really want."

Officials have thus far gotten two reports of frogs in Christmas trees, at least one of them purchased at Bell's Nurseries. A message for the nursery owner was not returned Thursday.

Davis said the shipment of trees at that retailer came from Orting, Wash., and reportedly had an inspection stamp on it. It wasn't known how large the shipment was, but the retailer told officials there were only a few left.

Pacific Chorus frogs are between three-quarters of an inch to 2 inches with a rounded snout and a conspicuous dark mask, according to the University of Alaska Anchorage. The frogs have been introduced to Revillagigedo Island in Southeast but are otherwise not found in Alaska. They get their name from the "kreck-ek" chorus -- led by a dominant male called a "chorus master" -- produced during spawning season, according to UAA.

One disease wildlife officials are concerned they could be carrying is the chytrid fungus, a major threat to amphibians that has caused amphibian deaths and population declines in several continents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials don't yet know if the frogs here are infected, Davis said.

"That exactly why we're asking people to bring them to us, so that they can be sampled for the fungus," Davis said.

Frogs should be reported by calling 1-877-INVASIVE. They can be turned in to zoologist Tracey Gotthardt, who can be reached at 257-2782.

This is not the first time in recent years Alaska has gotten a shipment of Christmas trees with unwanted guests. More than 3,100 Douglas, noble and grand fir trees from Oregon bound for Hawaii was diverted to Anchorage in December 2007 after inspectors found several types of wasps not found in Hawaii, including two yellow jacket queens and a type of hornet.

Hawaii, isolated as it is, has strict requirements on its agricultural imports, requiring all Christmas trees to be mechanically shaken, said Tom Wessels, Plant Services program manager with the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

"Christmas trees are tough because they're bushy," Wessels said. "That's why they have these shakers, because they really do shake loose the stuff. And you'd be surprised what comes out of those trees."

Washington, however, has no export requirements of its own on exports and only does what the receiving state requires, he said. A typical inspection would include examining a sample of the trees -- 2 percent is the general standard, he said.

Franci Havemeister, director of the Alaska Division of Agriculture, said Alaska does not require its imported trees to be shaken.

"I believe that the old sense was the fact that because it's so cold we'd kill everything," Havemeister said. "That mentality is changing a lot."

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/1060566.html

KTUU (Anchorage, Alaska) 18 December 09 State's advice on Christmas tree frogs has one woman hopping mad (Jason Lamb)

Anchorage, Alaska: The state says frogs hitching a ride to Anchorage on Christmas trees could introduce an outside fungus to Alaska and kill native amphibians.

Officials have suggested a method to euthanize the frogs with numbing toothache medicines like Orajel, but that method is raising some eyebrows.

Most people keep dishes in their kitchen sink, but not reptile rescuer Maria von Koehnen.

"Everybody gets a bath in the morning," von Koehnen said, explaining the iguanas and turtles taking turns in her sink.

"It's a habit," von Koehnen explains as she tears a layer of molted skin free of an iguana's leg. "I can't stand that."

What's tearing her up Friday is something she saw on the news the night before: a warning to watch out for frogs native to the Pacific Northwest on Christmas trees. For von Koehnen, the problem isn't the frogs -- it's what the state's asked people to do with them if they find them.

Von Koehnen says she's been involved in reptile rescue for years, and that the state's suggestion to put Orajel on the frogs' heads is exactly the wrong thing to do.

"They start having massive seizures," von Koehnen said. "It's just like giving someone an overdose of medication they're allergic to, and not doing a thing about it. That upset me so -- I was so livid!"

"That instruction to use Orajel (to humanely euthanize the frog) came from what has been the protocol by Hawaiian biologists," said Tammy Davis with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Von Koehnen says a better solution is to let the professionals deal with it.

"Just take them to Fish and Game," von Koehnen said. "Let Fish and Game deal with them, don't try to do home remedies that are going to make it -- this poor frog suffer. It's not fair to that frog."

Fish and Game says there have been only two reports of the frogs foiling holiday cheer this year, one of them from Bell's Nursery in Anchorage.

"One of the customers apparently took the tree home and a frog popped out," said Bell's employee Mike Mosesian. "And we were rather surprised because we haven't seen frogs ever in these trees."

Mosesian says his staff always shakes their trees to get rid of any unwelcome guests -- even if there are only a couple cases so far.

"I know that might seem like a very small number to have put out a news release, but invasive species are a serious issue," Davis said.

And if you find one this year, the state says to turn it in to them or use the Orajel.

Von Koehnen hopes you'll choose the first option.

"That just broke my heart," von Koehnen said. "I was so pissed."

If you do come across one of those unwelcome Christmas critters, you can call Fish and Game at 1-877-468-2748.

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=11703521

INDIAN EXPRESS (New Delhi, India) 18 December 09 In a first, vets check crocodile at free eye camp

It was an unusual experience for the team of doctors from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry when volunteers brought a crocodile for check-up at the free eye camp organised by the Government Veterinary Polyclinic in the city.

On October 14, the Forest Department had lodged a formal complaint against the residents of Alva village for attacking a crocodile with sharp weapons. The attack left the reptile with injuries in the eyes, forehead and the backbone. Volunteers involved in crocodile rescue work in the city were taking care of the animal for the last two months.

Dr Snehal Patel, Physician, Government Veterinary Polyclinic, Vadodara, said: “Dr D D Patil examined the crocodile and said there are all chances that it will regain its eyesight. Since there was some bleeding in the eye, Dr Patil dressed it and checked the movement of the eyeballs and it seemed to be moving fine.”

Dr Patil, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences, AAU told The Indian Express that it was first time they had handled a scheduled reptile at a free check-up camp.

“We generally have pet animal owners visiting our free check-up camps for the treatment and medical examination of their pets. It was the first time that we handled a crocodile,” he said.

Dr Patel added as many as 65 animals were examined today. “The eye check-up camp turned out to be a huge success for us. Of the total 65 animals we examined, 58 were dogs apart from goat, horse, crocodile, peacock and turtle.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/In-a-first--vets-check-crocodile-at-free-eye-camp/555788

WHQR (Wilmington, N Carolina) 18 December 09 Pythons Could Make North Carolina Home (Laurin Penland)

Wilmington, NC: A North Carolina researcher has inserted transmitters into Burmese Pythons to see if they can survive in mildly, cold temperatures. The invasive snakes are on the loose in the Florida Everglades, and there's concern that they could make their way to the Carolinas.

There's a concern that the Burmese Pythons diet of species native to Florida, such as the white tailed deer, could harm the ecosystem.

A study out of the US Geological Survey says pythons could survive in the colder Carolinas.

Davidson College researcher Michael Dorcas is tracking ten Burmese Pythons to find out.

"We don't have evidence of them impacting ecosystems, but by the time that can be shown to be true, that means they will have probably already severely impacted ecosystems."

A bill pending on Capitol Hill could cripple the billion-dollar Python pet trade by making it illegal to buy or sell them, or transport them across state lines.

Python lovers say there needs to be more research before banning the snakes, while animal activists say the Burmese Python needs to be stopped before it does more damage to local ecosystems.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1590340/Local.Interest/Pythons.Could.Make.North.Carolina.Home

SCIENCE DAILY (Rockville, Maryland) 18 December 09 Endangered Turtle Flies Home, in Passenger Cabin of Commercial Airplane

An endangered turtle named Anita made history on Dec. 15, when she became one of the only live marine turtles to ever fly in the passenger cabin of an airplane, thanks to a one-time exemption by American Airlines and the dedication of a University of North Carolina Wilmington marine biology professor.

UNC Wilmington professor Alina Szmant was teaching a coral reef ecology course on the Island Territory of Curacao in Feb. 2007, when students found Anita the turtle struggling to swim in a shallow pool. The Curacao Sea Aquarium staff surmised that the small hawksbill turtle was hit in the head by a boat, suffering nerve damage that prevented her from swimming correctly.

On the advice of UNCW turtle researcher Amanda Southward and North Carolina State University marine veterinarian Craig Harms, Szmant obtained medications needed to treat Anita that were not available in Curacao. The medicines were brought to the island by UNCW researcher Rob Whitehead.

Szmant and her students oversaw the daily care of Anita -- feeding her and massaging her crooked neck several times a day for six weeks. When Anita was diagnosed with a hyper-inflated right lung, Szmant outfitted Anita with a small lead plate velcroed to her shell to counter-weight the extra air in her body cavity. This helped her level off as she floated in her tank. Shortly after, Szmant and her students had to return to the U.S.

The staff of the Sea Aquarium kept up Anita's care and she became a favorite with the children's snorkel club. She was eventually able to open her mouth and eat on her own, but her damaged lung and crooked neck did not improve. When Szmant returned to Curacao with a new group of UNCW students in spring 2009, she found that Anita was still seriously impaired and required daily hand feeding. The Sea Aquarium feared they could not care for her much longer, so Szmant began an effort to find Anita the home and help she needed.

Ryan Butts, director of the in Marathon, Fla., Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project, referred to as "The Turtle Hospital," offered to take Anita in if Szmant could get her to the U.S. Because Anita is an endangered species of marine turtle, her travel required two export permits -- one from Curacao and another from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which took six months to acquire.

After a tireless effort by Szmant and her colleagues, Anita arrived at her new home on Dec. 15. At the Turtle Hospital, Anita will receive a complete veterinary evaluation and possibly have her lungs surgically repaired. If rehabilitated, the turtle may be released to breed and contribute to the recovery of this endangered species.

American Airlines employees were instrumental in obtaining the special permission needed for Anita to ride in the passenger cabin and providing a complimentary ticket for Szmant to fly the turtle to Miami.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091218125537.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 18 December 09 Heron tries to swallow turtle for dinner

Photo: A greedy heron tries to swallow a large turtle it has plucked from a river (SOLENT)

A heron tried to swallow a turtle for its dinner but was left frustrated as it could not pierce its shell to kill it.

The bird, which usually spears its prey before swallowing it whole, spent 25 minutes attempting to eat the nine inch turtle before flying away carrying the turtle in its beak.

The young Florida Softshell Turtle wriggled as Jose Garcia photographed the Blue Heron at the Everglades National Park in Florida, United States.

Herons, which usually eat fish and small snakes, have been known to choke on prey that is too large.

Mr Garcia, 50, said: "This particular species of heron is the largest of the wading birds and they have been known to prey on everything from fish to small alligators and snakes.

"But in all my years of photographing the Everglades wildlife this is the first time I've seen one of these birds trying to eat a turtle.

"This went on for about 25 minutes, with the bird repositioning the turtle in order to swallow it, to no avail.

"The problem was that the turtle was still alive. It was moving its legs non stop and the circumference of its shell was too wide.

"The bird looked frustrated and the turtle was trying desperately to 'swim' away.

"Eventually, with almost no light the heron flew out of range with the turtle still in its beak.

"If I had to bet money I would say the turtle is now ten to 11 inches in circumference and that heron is probably hunting easier prey."

Blue Herons, or Ardea Herodias, have a head to tail length up to 55 inches, a wingspan up to 79 inches and weigh between 4.4 and 8lbs.

They are found throughout North America near bodies of water, usually nesting in trees or bushes. It has been recorded as a vagrant in England.

Florida Softshell Turtles, or Apalone ferox, are native to the eastern United States and are popular as pets.

They have a long neck, an elongated head, with a long snorkel-like nose and can grow up to 25 inches.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6838752/Heron-tries-to-swallow-turtle-for-dinner.html

NEWS & OBSERVER (Raleigh, N Carolina) 18 December 09 Injured turtle's odyssey (Jane Stancill)

Anita the hawksbill turtle is one first-class reptile.

She's also very, very lucky.

In early 2007, Anita was found struggling to swim off the southern Caribbean island of Curacao after apparently being injured by a boat.

On Tuesday, Anita flew to her new home at a Florida animal hospital in the first-class cabin of an American Airlines jetliner accompanied by her friend, UNC-Wilmington professor Alina Szmant.

The small hawksbill, an endangered species, is alive because of the tenacity of the professor, who arranged for the turtle's medications, daily care, and finally, transport to the United States.

Szmant was teaching an ecology course in Curacao when the injured turtle was found. She and her students set up a schedule for round-the-clock feedings in Curacao for six weeks after the 5-pound turtle's head injury and hyperinflated lung. They massaged her crooked neck. They dubbed her Anita.

After seeking advice from turtle experts at UNCW and N.C. State University, Szmant got medications for the injured creature, and tried to figure out how to administer them.

"I'm a coral reef ecologist," she said. "That doesn't mean I know anything about injecting a turtle in the neck with antibiotics."

But the medication seemed to help. Szmant and her students also had to pry open Anita's mouth and shove bits of fish inside without getting bitten.

Eventually, Szmant and her students had to leave the island. They wanted to take the turtle with them, but it would take months, maybe a year, to get the necessary permits from the government.

In the meantime, volunteers at the Curacao Sea Aquarium cared for the turtle, but they couldn't take her on indefinitely. A turtle hospital in Marathon, Fla., agreed to take her if Szmant could get her there.

So, after six months, the proper permits arrived. American Airlines provided a free ticket for Szmant to pick up the ailing turtle.

Rubbed down with petroleum jelly and ointments to keep her from drying out, Anita was placed in a small pet carrier for the journey. She was a little uneasy on takeoff, but soon settled down. The airline upgraded Szmant and her charge to first class and arranged for a double seat.

"We took her out one time to take pictures and she pooped on me," Szmant said.

The turtle may live out its life at the turtle preserve in Florida. But if she makes a full recovery, Anita could go back to the wild in Curacao.

"We've done so much to destroy the Earth, it may seem silly to go to this much effort for one little turtle," Szmant said. "She grabbed my heart, and I'm glad I could help her in some little way."

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/246451.html

THE NATION (Bangkok, Thailand) 18 December 09 Export of live pythons may be allowed

The government is planning to authorise the export of live pythons in an effort to help local snake breeders, a senior official from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said yesterday.

At present, three square metres of python skin can be sold for up to Bt10,000, while a young golden python can be bought by enthusiasts for as much as Bt7,000, ministry official Chawal Thanhikorn said. An adult golden python goes for between Bt30,000 to Bt50,000.

In order to allow the export of live pythons, the law prohibiting the practice needs to be revoked. So far, only the skin of snakes and pythons can be exported.

Chawal said the export of live animals could bring in more than Bt10 million every year.

However, senior official from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Watthana Wetthayaprasit, expressed concerns saying that authorising export of live pythons would prompt people to start breeding the reptiles, which would possibly result in them slipping into the wild and subsequently having an ecological impact.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/12/18/national/national_30118768.php

STAR BULLETIN (Honolulu, Hawaii) 18 December 09 New rules threaten sea turtles, suit says

(AP) Conservation groups have sued the National Marine Fisheries Service for loosening regulations on Hawaii-based longline swordfish fishers that are designed to protect sea turtles.

The environmental law firm Earthjustice said the lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court challenges the rule change to allow the fishery to accidentally capture a maximum of 46 threatened loggerhead sea turtles each year. That is up from 17.

Earthjustice says the new rule conflicts with the agency's own assessment that the turtle is in danger of extinction.

The fisheries service said when it issued the rule Dec. 10 that it optimizes the U.S. harvest of swordfish and other fish species, without jeopardizing the continued existence and recovery of threatened and endangered sea turtles.

Conservation groups have sued the National Marine Fisheries Service for loosening regulations on Hawaii-based longline swordfish fishers that are designed to protect sea turtles.

The environmental law firm Earthjustice said the lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court challenges the rule change to allow the fishery to accidentally capture a maximum of 46 threatened loggerhead sea turtles each year. That is up from 17.

Earthjustice says the new rule conflicts with the agency's own assessment that the turtle is in danger of extinction.

The fisheries service said when it issued the rule Dec. 10 that it optimizes the U.S. harvest of swordfish and other fish species, without jeopardizing the continued existence and recovery of threatened and endangered sea turtles.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20091218_New_rules_threaten_sea_turtles_suit_says.html

MIDI LIBRE (Montpellier, France) 18 December 09 Des alligators sur la route de la Porte Dorée

Depuis quelques semaines, la Ferme aux crocodiles de Pierrelatte fait la Une de l'actualité. En effet, au mois de février prochain, elle va accueillir un couple d'alligators blancs, arrivé de Louisiane par avion. Voilà quelques jours, le directeur et vétérinaire, Samuel Martin, s'est rendu dans les fermes d'élevage, pour apprendre à mieux connaître ces animaux très rares en Europe. Seuls quelques couples sont élevés sur le Vieux-Continent.

Mardi matin, la Ferme aux crocodiles va vivre un nouvel événement. En effet, quatre alligators du Mi ssissipi partiront en villégiature à l'Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée de Paris.

Ce site, anciennement Musée des arts africains et océaniques, est le plus ancien aquarium de la ville.

En effet, c'est en 1931 que la structure fut créée dans le bâtiment de l'Exposition coloniale, afin de montrer au public la faune aquatique des colonies.

À cette occasion, une fosse, considérée comme l'une des plus belles d'Europe, tant par ses dimensions que par son décor qui représente un paysage africain, avait été construite pour accueillir des crocodiles du Nil (crocodylus niloticus).

C'est en 1948, dans le but de repeupler la fosse aux crocodiles, que Théodore Monod, illustre scientifique naturaliste, explorateur, et humaniste français, avait ramené d'autres crocodiles déjà adultes.

Ces animaux étant tous décédés l'an dernier à un âge avancé, l'Aquarium tropical a décidé de regarnir la fameuse fosse aux crocodiles construite au début du siècle.

Les travaux de rénovation achevés, la fosse ouvre aujourd'hui ses portes aux quatre pensionnaires, ambassadeurs des crocodiles pierrelattin dans la capitale ! La collection compte environ 5 000 animaux et 300 espèces, mais ces chiffres varient continuellement en fonction des reproductions, des mortalités, des échanges avec d'autres aquariums publics, des achats et des dons.

Ces quatre reptiles de la Ferme aux crocodiles de Pierrelatte enrichiront une importante exposition vivante sur le monde africain dans la capitale parisienne

http://www.midilibre.com/articles/2009/12/18/BAGNOLS-Des-alligators-sur-la-route-de-la-Porte-Doree-1040827.php5

L'EST-ÉCLAIR (Saint André les Vergers, France) 18 December 09 Lacoste au secours des alligators (Boris Callendreau)

Horreur! Le fidèle représentant de la marque Devanlay-Lacoste est menacé d'extinction. Les derniers recensements ne laissent planer aucun doute: sur l'ensemble du globe, il ne resterait qu'une poignée de représentants chez les alligators de Chine, les gavials du Gange ou bien les crocodiles de l'Orénoque.

Plutôt que de sombrer dans le fatalisme et cogiter sur le remplacement de son logo, la marque de vêtements intimement liée à Troyes a choisi de se mobiliser en s'associant à l'opération « Save your logo ».

Initiée par le Fonds mondial pour l'environnement (WWF), la Banque mondiale et l'Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature, cette démarche cherche à impliquer « entreprises privées et institutions dans la préservation de la biodiversité, en leur permettant de s'engager pour la défense et la sauvegarde de l'animal qu'elle utilise comme logo ».

En France, si la MAAF a déjà manifesté son soutien en s'engageant auprès des dauphins, Lacoste devient malgré tout « la première marque internationale » à soutenir un animal en voie de disparition. Elle versera pour cela 1,5 M€ sur trois ans.

Une démarche naturelle pour le groupe : « Nous sommes la marque la plus clairement associée à un animal.

Il était donc normal de nous engager pour la sauvegarde des crocodiles, tant ces derniers font partie de notre histoire et de notre identité. »

René Lacoste, le champion de tennis français, après avoir été comparé à ce reptile en raison de sa ténacité sur les courts, avait en effet décidé d'apposer cet animal sur les chemises qu'il venait de concevoir, voici 80 ans.

http://www.lest-eclair.fr/index.php/cms/13/article/400205/Lacoste_au_secours_des_alligators

TOP VISAGES (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) 18 December 09 Le Lac Au Caïmans De Yamoussoukro - Touristique, mais dangereux! (Stéphie Joyce)

Yakro, la capitale politique de Côte d'Ivoire est célèbre pour sa basilique, mais surtout pour son lac aux caïmans, véritable curiosité touristique depuis des lustres. Seulement, la réalité est que les caimans qui ont survécu à leur père, Félix Houphouet-Boigny, commencent à devenir un véritable danger pour les populations. Si rien n'est fait, ces sauriens, dans leur prolifération vont surpasser la population et semer une terreur digne d'un film de fiction.

Il est 17h 30 ce jour-là quand nous arrivons au Lac aux caïmans jouxtant le Palais présidentiel de Yamoussokro. Quelques touristes sont arrivés un peu plus tôt, ainsi que des personnes venues faire des sacrifices en offrant des poulets vivants aux caïmans.

Nous longeons le lac artificiel se trouvant sur notre droite. Un bruit étrange nous fait sursauter! C'est un caïman, juste à quelques mètres, sur la berge qui vient de fermer sa gueule avec fracas. En fait, nous étions tellement absorbés par les touristes affluant vers le côté gauche du lac qu'on n'avait pas imaginé un seul instant qu'il y avait aussi des reptiles à droite. En fait, ici, il y a de nombreux canaux qui relient tous les lacs de Yamoussokro et c'est souvent avec une facilité déconcertante que ces reptiles réussissent à passer d'un côté à un autre. Surtout les plus petits. Mais ils finissent par grandir et se reproduire.

De fait, aujourd’hui, on ne sait plus leur nombre exact dans la ville. Le gardien des lieux, c’est Dicko Thokaye, un malien qui vit ici depuis 25 ans. Ici, c'est comme ça tous les jours. Après avoir donné à manger aux sauriens (40 kg de viande de boeuf), Thokaye démontre sa familiarité avec ces animaux dangereux qu'il appelle affectueusement ses «enfants».

Pour la petite histoire, lorsque l'un d'eux meurt, le gardien n'hésite pas à le sortir du lac et à l'enterrer comme un humain au sein du Palais Présidentiel, là où il y a le cimetièrre des baoulé.

Touchez donc à un de ces caïmans (si vous pouvez) et vous aurez affaire à Dicko Thokaye qui veille sur eux comme une mère poule. Il est d'ailleurs l'un des rares (hormis Kéita Issa et Camara Souleymane, les deux autres gardiens suppléants) à entrer dans leur bassin, à jouer avec eux, soulevant leur queue, touchant leurs dents ou leur tapotant le dos. Il les connaît tous et leur a même donné des noms. Les plus dangereux sont les doyens dénommés «Capitaine» et «Commandant». Deux mastodontes qui font la loi dans ces eaux.

«Les caïmans sont nombreux dans le lac. Chacun a sa marque de naissance et c'est comme ça que j'arrive à les reconnaître, à les dompter et à leur donner des noms. Mais, je ne connais pas leur âge. Il faut attendre leur mort pour le savoir, car chaque année, les caïmans avalent un caillou. Et quand ils meurent, il suffit de compter ces cailloux pour savoir quel âge ils ont. Mais ici, il n'y a pas que les caïmans. On a deux crocodiles, un alligator et des tortues qui restent dans le fond du lac pour éviter de se faire bouffer». Au moment où nous causons avec Dicko, nous remarquons un caïman...manchot! Kéita Issa, l'autre gardien nous explique alors que c'est «Capitaine» qui lui a fait ça. Pour un poulet, ce dernier n'a pas hésité à bouffer les pattes de ce mâle qui fait pitié à voir. Mais si ça ne tenait seulement qu'à ça, on serait soulagés. Hélas! Les caïmans de yakro s'attaquent de plus en plus aux humains. Quand on voit certaines grilles entourant le lac, on est tenté de dire que le danger n'est pas loin.

«Capitaine», l'un des plus gros caïmans du coin, s'est acharné sur les grillages qui l'empêchaient de passer du côté gauche au côté droit du lac. Les effets sont visibles et font peur ! De nombreux témoignages sur place nous ont appris qu’en septembre 2007, par exemple, une jeune fille souffrant d'un début de dépression mentale a voulu se désaltérer parce qu'il faisait chaud. Elle a escaladé la grille (qui n'est pas très haute), a plongé la main pour prendre un peu d'eau du lac et paf! En quelques secondes, elle s'est re-trouvée dans la gueule d'un caïman qui l'a entrainée dans les profondeurs de l'eau. La police et les sapeurs pompiers, venus sur les lieux, n'ont rien pu faire. Personne n'osait s'aventurer dans l'eau. Et malgré les appels répétés de leur gardien, le «coupable» n'a pas osé sortir la tête de l'eau. Il préférait prendre le temps de digérer le corps de la pauvre...Véronique (le prénom de la fille). Une autre source nous révèle aussi qu'un petit garçon fréquentant une école primaire non loin de là aurait subi le même sort que Véronique. Seul un fou (qui serait encore dans la ville) a eu la vie sauve. Seulement, il y a laissé son...bras.

Pour le dernier cas cité, les choses se seraient passées en face du bar le Cyclone. Là-bas, il y a un lac au bord duquel sont ouverts bon nombre de maquis et de restaurants. Et ce cliché donne froid dans le dos. Imaginons un seul instant, comme dans un film de fiction, l'assèchement progressif des lacs artificiels qui feront migrer les caïmans ou encore une inondation à Yamoussoukro sachant que quelques uns de ces sauriens sortent parfois de l'eau quand il y a de fortes pluies. Ils seront en villégiature, mettant la vie de la population en danger. Sans jouer les oiseaux de mauvais augure, nous pensons qu'il serait temps qu'on songe sérieusement à une protection renforcée de ces lacs artificiels qui abritent tous des caïmans. On dit bien tous!

http://www.topvisages.net/reportage/18-12-09.php

DIARIO DE IBIZA (Spain) 18 December 09 Lagartijas de mil colores

Ibiza, Redacción: La lagartija pitiusa, una de las especies más emblemáticas de las islas y que mayor fascinación suscita, protagoniza el próximo fascículo del coleccionable Áreas Naturales de Eivissa y Formentera, que se entregará de forma gratuita mañana domingo junto con cada ejemplar de Diario de Ibiza. Las singulares características de los numerosos islotes que rodean las Pitiusas las han convertido en auténticos laboratorios de biodiversidad en los que se han desarrollado especies diferentes a sus congéneres peninsulares.

El aislamiento y las condiciones extremas de estos hábitats (alta insolación y salinidad, viento, falta de recursos) han condicionado la evolución de numerosas especies: el caso de la lagartija pitiusa es muy ilustrativo, ya que se han descrito hasta 45 poblaciones diferentes de esta especie endémica de Ibiza y Formentera, y se aceptan un total de 23 subespecies distintas que tienen colores, tamaños, formas y hábitos diferentes.

Así, la lagartija de ses Margalides es muy grande y tiene las patas largas, la de Illa Murada tiene el vientre ultramar y turquesa y la del islote de na Plana es muy oscura, con tonos morados y negros. La infinita variedad de colores y formas y la particular belleza de este reptil que sólo se encuentra en Ibiza y Formentera se hace patente en las numerosas fotografías que ilustran el capítulo que se entrega mañana, la mayoría obra de Jordi Serapio, uno de los veinte fotógrafos que han participado en el coleccionable y a quien pertenecen también buena parte de las fotos de plantas endémicas publicadas en la obra.

La lagartija pitiusa (Podarcis pityusensis) está catalogada por el Govern balear como de interés especial y está incluida en la Directiva Hábitats de la Unión Europea en la lista de especies cuyos hábitats se deben proteger.

El fascículo concluye el capítulo dedicado a los murciélagos, que incluye imágenes de las diez especies que se encuentran en las Pitiusas, obra del experto en quirópteros David García.

Juan Suárez ha dirigido y coordinado la producción de la obra, de cuyos contenidos es responsable Cristina Martín. El biólogo Joan Carles Palerm ha sido el supervisor científico; Aisha Bonet se ha ocupado de coordinar el apartado de fotografía y Juanjo Stihl, de la maquetación. Los fascículos se entregan los jueves y los domingos junto con cada ejemplar de es Diari.

http://www.diariodeibiza.es/pitiuses-balears/2009/12/19/lagartijas-mil-colores/380461.html

ТАЙГА / TAYGA (Novosibirsk, Russia) 18 December 09 Змеи и черепашки омского зоопарка попали в ДТП и чуть не замерзли

с передвижным зоопарком из Омска опрокинулась 17 декабря на трассе Ишим — Бердюжье в Тюменской области. Шесть сотрудников минизоопарка и несколько экзотических животных оказались на 35-градусном морозе, сообщил 18 декабря Тайге.инфо сотрудник пресс-службы областного управления ГУ МЧС России Александр Зубарев.

На обочине трассы остались питон, три змеи, игуаны, черепашки, мелкие грызуны и декоративные птицы, не привыкшие к сибирским морозам.

По звонку очевидцев к месту происшествия выехали пожарные. Через несколько десятков минут артисты и их питомцы смогли попасть в пост обогрева (на базе автомобиля «Урал»).

«Благодаря оперативности ишимских спасателей животные и птицы не успели почувствовать всю „полноту“ сибирских холодов. Через час весь минизоопарк был размещен в ведомственной гостинице отряда федеральной противопожарной службы № 18. Артистов и зверюшек еще раз осмотрел медицинский работник. Людям выдали теплую одежду», — рассказал Александр Зубарев.

В тот же день ночью за пострадавшими приехали коллеги из Омска, и артисты в полном составе отправились домой.

http://www.tayga.info/news/2009/12/18/~94913

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 17 December 09 Crocodiles jump out of the water for food

Photo: A crocodile leaping high above the Adelaide river in Darwin, Australia to catch supper (BNPS)

Saltwater crocodiles have been pictured jumping clear out of the murky water in Australia to catch their food.

The saltwater crocs were snapped flying high above the Adelaide River in Darwin, Australia, put on the show for amazed tourists, as guides on a sightseeing boat dangled a steak on the end of a stick above their heads.

The pictures were taken by tourists during a Jumping Crocs tour, on the Adelaide River in Darwin, Australia.

One photographer, Jon Clark, 38, who is originally from Leeds, said: "It's really an amazing sight.

"People don't often realise crocodiles can jump like this, but they can propel themselves all the way out of the water if they want to.

"It certainly is very impressive to see.

"The guides warned everyone to keep their hands well inside the boat, then got out stick with meat attached to the end of them to lure the crocs closer.

"The crocs are wild, but of course they have got used to the boats coming out and know what to do to get food.

"The guides dangle the meat close to their heads until they leap up to get it. Then they pull it away quickly to encourage the crocs to jump higher and higher.

"When I was there, we saw about 10 or 11 crocs jumping out of the water. If you're really lucky you might even see the crocs trying to snatch a white-bellied sea eagle out of the air when they come down to grab food.

"It was quite a sight and I'm just glad I managed to catch it on camera."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6838895/Crocodiles-jump-out-of-the-water-for-food.html

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 17 December 09 Snake fight: villagers in Thailand stage battles with king cobras

The self-styled King Cobra Village of Ban Khok Sa-Nga hosts regular snake boxing matches, where handlers taunt snakes in face-to-face battles.

The strange custom of fighting snakes began when a herb farmer began putting on shows to attract customers to the village, and the art of breeding and training snakes has been nurtured ever since.

King cobras are common in Thailand and many families keep them in boxes under their houses.

The deadly reptiles can often be seen slithering across the dusty streets when they are not being provoked into fighting.

Villagers proudly point out that they no longer keep chickens and ducks in their houses as the snakes tend to kill other livestock.

With no doctor or pharmacy nearby, herbal medicines produced by mixing crushed leaves and lemon juice are the only treatment for those unlucky enough to get bitten. Three villagers died last year alone in organised snake fights.

The king cobras venom paralyses its victims nervous system, normally killing a man within 15 minutes.

The bites are even venemous enough to kill elephants.

Adding to the danger of snake boxing, men can only prove their honour by fighting the snakes on their own ground.

Tools or weapons are banned and the more provocative or dangerous the fight the more the demanding crowd likes it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/6831984/Snake-fight-villagers-in-Thailand-stage-battles-with-king-cobras.html

THE ADVERTISER (Norfolk, UK) 17 December 09 Meet the turtle who loves his sprouts

Many eight-year-olds would turn their noses up if they were offered Brussels sprouts for dinner.

But for one aquatic youngster at Great Yarmouth's Sea Life Centre the chance to chomp through the vegetables is certainly not one to turn a snout up at.

For George the green sea turtle likes nothing better than to tuck into sprouts twice a day in the centre's main tank.

However, as the eight-year-old, who is only a child in turtle terms, eats the Brussels to keep its shell in tip-top condition it has after effects well known to people sitting next to sprout lovers at dinner tables - flatulence.

Because of water bubbling up from the well-fed turtle, Sea Life staff have lowered the tank's water level to prevent any bubbles setting off overflow alarms.

The precaution was taken after a sprout-loving turtle at Weymouth Sea Life Centre triggered alarms due to his excessive wind production.

George, who weighs about 46kgs and whose sex is unknown due to its age, has been fed Brussels for a week and after a hesitant start they are now one of the animal's favourites.

Darren Gook, senior marine biologist, said: “At first George did not take to them at all. But now George can't want to chomp on them - they seem to be his favourites now.”

George, who has been at Yarmouth for three years, also eats broccoli and cabbage twice a day and has one meal of fishheads a day as well.

George will not reach maturity for another 20 years and could reach up to metre and a half in length and weigh 400kgs on reaching adulthood.

http://www.advertiser24.co.uk/content/advertiser24/news/story.aspx?brand=GOROnline&category=News&tBrand=GOROnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED17+Dec+2009+07%3A41%3A30%3A890

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 17 December 09 Turtle eggs to hatch at Galgibag, Agonda (Yogesh Naik)

Canacona (TNN): There's quiet excitement in the air along Galgibag and Agonda beaches with the eight Olive Ridley turtle nests expected to hatch their first batch on December 18.

"The first turtle arrived on November 1. We are expecting that the first batch will be hatched around December 18," said Vilas Gawas, range forest officer in charge of Cotigao wildlife sanctuary.

The forest department has been posting watchmen—volunteers who are paid a stipend by the department—to guard the nesting sites 24x7 since the 1990s. This year, there are six nesting sites at Galgibag and two at Agonda beaches. While three volunteers man Galgibag, two are posted at Agonda. "The turtles have been avoiding Agonda beach as the number of shacks there have been rising since the last two years," said a forest officer.

At Galgibag, volunteers Sameer Bhandari, Sham Bhandari and Ulhas Pagi have been on constant vigil since November. They enthusiastically explain that Olive Ridley turtles come ashore at night to identify a site to lay eggs and return the next night to lay the eggs. "Normally, each turtle lays around 100 to 150 eggs, but only 10% of these survive to adulthood," says Sameer.

As for their `job', he explains, "We patrol the beach and check for areas where the turtles could have possibly laid eggs. We then cover these sites with nets to protect the eggs from stray dogs." Ulhas adds, "We also discourage foreign tourists on Galgibag beach because they tend to attract the stray dogs whom they normally feed. These dogs tend to follow the foreigners around. "

As soon as the eggs hatch the volunteers start counting the turtles as they move towards the sea.

Forest officials say that turtle nesting sites were lesser last year, while the highest number of sites was in 2003 when Goa hosted 29. While the three main nesting sites are Galgibag, Agonda and Morjim, other sites where sporadic nesting takes place are at Keri, Arambol and Ashvem in Pernem taluka; Anjuna and Calangute-Candolim in Bardez taluka; Velsao, Sernabatim, Colva, Benaulim and Betul in Salcete taluka; and Patnem, Palolem and Kindlem beaches in Canacona taluka, says the Goa government website.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Turtle-eggs-to-hatch-at-Galgibag-Agonda/articleshow/5346191.cms

CANARIAS 24 HORAS (IC, Spain) 17 December 09 Estas Navidades, no compres animales exóticos (Elvira Sánchez)

En la actualidad la extinción de especies animales no está relacionada con la escasez de alimentos. El hombre es su principal enemigo con acciones violentas directas, como el comercio ilegal de especies salvajes y la caza, o indirectas como la introducción de especies exóticas que compiten por los recursos con animales nativos y principalmente la destrucción de los hábitats naturales. En Canarias, la principal amenaza de extinción de sus especies endémicas procede de proyectos urbanísticos, que se quieren llevar a cabo en espacios naturales, aún protegidos. El tráfico de especies protegidas mueve cada año miles de millones de euros. Después de la firma del tratado de Washington sobre la regulación del tráfico de especies amenazadas o en peligro de extinción, conocido internacionalmente como CITES, y la adhesión de más de 100 países de todo el mundo, incluidos todos los de la UE, la expoliación y extinción de las especies continúa vigente.

Aun incluyendo 8.000 especies de fauna y 40.000 de flora, el CITES no evita que cada año lleguen al mercado más de 3 millones de pieles de felinos protegidos por el tratado de Washington. Se calcula que mas de 15.000.000 de pieles se venden al año principalmente de nutrias, zorros, osos, castores, focas, leopardos, visones, martas y chinchillas. Por otra parte se estima en 10.000.000 de pieles de reptiles entran en el circuito de venta clandestina. Peces, ardillas, armadillos, monos, loros, camaleones y aves coloridas, son capturados sólo para ser vendidos como mascotas exóticas. En el caso de las aves, el ejemplo más flagrante lo encontramos en el grupo de los loros y guacamayos: a causa de la demanda de estos pájaros como animales de compañía, ya se han llevado a la extinción diversas especies. Muchos otros loros y guacamayos han visto reducidas sus poblaciones a causa del comercio con los países industrializados, como también especies de reptiles, anfibios, etc.

Solamente de nuestro país vecino, Marruecos, se calcula que cada año pasan el Estrecho más de un millón de reptiles, de los que los más comunes son los camaleones y las tortugas de tierra. Si no queremos ser cómplices, deberemos tener en cuenta lo siguiente: No aceptar nunca un animal exótico que se nos quiera vender o regalar. En las vacaciones, no comprar nunca animales vivos del país donde estamos, bajo ningún concepto. Evitar los artículos de consumo que tengan alguna relación con especies animales o vegetales en peligro: maderas tropicales, marfil, cuernos de rinoceronte, abrigos de piel, monturas de gafas de carey...Si tenemos necesidad de un animal de compañía, optemos por los que sean criados en nuestro país y no supongan una expoliación en los países de origen. En cualquier caso, no debemos olvidar, que una animal no es ni una cosa ni un peluche, y que no podemos abandonarlo ni maltratarlo cuando nos hartemos de él.

http://canarias24horas.com/index.php/2009121769697/firmas/estas-navidades-no-compres-animales-exoticos.html

SUN-SENTINEL (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 16 December 09 Billboards to fight pythons - New campaign attempts to educate public on the downside of releasing unwanted pets (David Fleshler)

Photo: Joe Wasilewski, a wildlife biologist who is permitted to capture pythons, and Wayne Rassner, volunteer coordinator for Everglades Python Control, show a Burmese python at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' unveiling of their billboard campaign to highlight the problem of releasing invasive animals into the Everglades. (Susan Stocker)

Like bank robbers, drug traffickers and other public enemies, the Burmese python, Nile monitor and sailfin catfish will appear on posters throughout the state as part of a campaign against the release of non-native animals in the wild.

"UN-WANTED in the EVERGLADES," state the ads, which will appear on billboards, bus shelters and other prominent public places. "Help restore the Everglades. Don't let it loose."

The campaign, unveiled Wednesday at a news conference in Davie, will start with 27 billboards and other sites donated as a public service by members of the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association.

Stu Appelbaum, chief of the Everglades division for the Army Corps of Engineers, which held the news conference, said the control of non-native species was as important to the Everglades as the massive replumbing project taking place now to restore some of the original flow of water through the wilderness.

"These species can kill or crowd out our native species," he said.

About 1,000 Burmese pythons have been captured in the Everglades. But although this species has received the most attention, there are other, less eye-catching species that can cause damage.

At Everglades National Park, for example, there are more than 200 non-native plants and 16 non-natives species of fish, said David Hallac, the park's chief of biological resources.

The Nile monitor, a carnivorous lizard that can reach a length of seven feet, will appear on the posters. It has established breeding populations in the Homestead and Cape Coral areas.

Another poster beast will be the sailfin catfish, a South American species that has established itself in Central and South Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (www.myfwc.com), has set up amnesty days and other programs to allow people to surrender unwanted pets, no questions asked.

"By drawing attention to this, we hope to help people find options other than release," said Paul Souza, South Florida field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The well-intentioned act of letting an animal go free in the wild can have unintended consequences."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-snake-billboards-20091216,0,463494.story

CAIRNS POST (Australia) 16 December 09 Toad of trouble caught at Cairns airport (Daniel Bateman)

An ecological disaster has been narrowly averted after a toad which has the potential to be more damaging than the cane toad was recently caught at Cairns airport.

A juvenile black-spined toad (Bufo melanostictus) was spotted by keen-eyed Hawker Pacific ground crew at the international airport, hidden inside timber packaging while they were unloading empty gas cylinders on board a flight from West Papua.

Inspecting the cargo, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service officers also found an entire colony of black crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis), hitching a ride on the same gas cylinders.

The black-spined toad, while not as venomous as the cane toad, has the ability to adapt to far colder climates than the cane toad, making it as formidable a pest.

Like the cane toad, the black-spined toad is a carnivore and competes with native frogs and toads for food and habitats.

It also has the potential to carry exotic parasites and diseases.

AQIS northern region scientific manager James Walker said the toad, which was caught on September 7, had the potential to spread further than the cane toad throughout the continent.

About 20 black-spined toads have been located at air and shipping ports across the country during the past decade.

The ants that were discovered in the Indonesian cargo were an invasive species that has long been established in Australia.

AQIS entomologist Michael Gorton said it was uncommon to have an entire colony accidentally transported in air freight.

Mr Gorton said it showed how easy it was for ant pests to find their way to Australia’s borders.

"Sometimes you’ll find the odd ant in cargo, but you don’t get the whole colony," Mr Gorton said.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/12/16/82435_local-news.html

WFTV (Orlando, Florida) 16 December 09 Reptile Owners Offer Reward For Snake-Releaser

Tampa, Fl: Dozens of reptile owners have come together to stop a python releaser in Tampa.

They are offering a $18,400 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for releasing a 12-foot Burmese python a week ago.

With increased public awareness of pythons, many owners are concerned that the public's image of them is inaccurate.

Michael Cole operates Ballroom Pythons South in Central Florida. He says most reptile owners are very responsible and hopes to end the negative publicity.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission extended the python hunt program to a year-round effort starting in January. It's to help eradicate giant, nonnative Burmese pythons from South Florida.

http://www.wftv.com/news/21982462/detail.html

TC PALM (Stuart, Florida) 16 December 09 8 1/2-foot snake found crossing 82nd Avenue in Indian River (Lamaur Stancil)

Residents picked up an 8 1/2-foot boa constrictor snake crossing 82nd Avenue Saturday, according to Indian River County Animal Control.

Jesse Flores said he, his son, Brian Flores, and his brother, Dan Flores, found the snake in the 2500 block of 82nd Avenue. An Animal Control officer said the men had placed the snake in a trash bin when he arrived. Boa constrictors are not on Florida’s list of reptiles of concern, but the one found Saturday was large enough to pose a danger to a small dog, said Ilke Daniel, outreach coordinator of the Humane Society of Vero Beach.

It’s the second largest snake found in Indian River in recent months. In late October, some women in Vero Lake Estates found a 9 1/2-foot-long Burmese python at the corner of 102nd Court and 87th Street.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/dec/16/python-measuring-8-12-feet-found-crossing-82nd/

LUSAKA TIMES (Zambia) 16 December 09 Frequent crocodile attacks on Lake Kariba worry Malima councillor

(ZANIS ) A civic leader in Sinazongwe has implored government to sink boreholes in Chiyabi area of the district to avert deaths of people resulting from crocodile attacks on Lake Kariba.

Malima ward councilor, Fisher Zimaana, said in a statement to ZANIS in Choma today that innocent lives were being lost almost on a weekly basis as people try to fetch water from the crocodile-infested lake.

He said the number of incidences involving women being killed by crocodiles while fetching water from the lake has become a source of concern and required urgent government’s attention.

Mr Zimaana said it was disheartening to see children being orphaned after their parents have been caught and killed by the reptiles while drawing water.

He said last week alone, two people were killed in separate incidences in Chiyabi area. He said a woman of Sianyuka village has left behind four children after being mauled and killed by the crocodile as she was drawing water from the lake.

“Sianyuka village has no borehole and yet these are some of the contentious issues we have been advancing on the effects of the displacement of the Gwembe valley,” he said.

Mr Zimaana said another man died while fishing on the lake after being caught by a crocodile.

The councillor said several herds of cattle have similarly been lost through crocodile attacks.

He appealed to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to listen to the pleas of the valley people over the swelled number of crocodiles.

He said there is need for ZAWA to consider cropping the reptiles to help minimize loss of human life.

http://www.lusakatimes.com/?p=22289

MORNING CALL (Allentown, Pennsylvania) 16 December 09 Raid on exotic animal delivery company in Texas finds skinny snakes, rodents eating each other (Angela K. Brown)

Arlington, Texas (AP): A raid on an exotic animal delivery company in Texas found starving snakes, hundreds of reptiles packed in shipping crates and rodents that had killed and eaten each other, officials said.

Dozens of people with the city of Arlington and animal welfare groups took inventory Tuesday of the animals — estimated at 20,000 — and removed them from the U.S. Global Exotics during the raid. The Arlington-based company, which advertises that it delivers exotic animals worldwide, did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment and it's Web site was down on Wednesday.

"Sometimes animals die, but the amount of animals dead far exceeded what you would normally see at any company like this," said Jay Sabatucci, manager of animal services with the city of Arlington. "Animals were not fed, not fed properly, overcrowded and attacking each other. Some were in an environment not proper for them, such as snakes in a 72-degree room with a lamp over them, which is not enough heat and could cause them to die."

The company's warehouse held mostly reptiles and rodents and also spiders, sloths and hedgehogs, but it was unclear how many were dead, said Maura Davies, a spokeswoman with the SPCA of Texas. Veterinarians treated the most severely malnourished animals, she said.

Hundreds of rodents were crammed in small containers covered with wire, and many had killed and eaten each other, Davies said. Other animals were kept in feeding troughs, and there were numerous stacked shipping containers still holding turtles and other reptiles that had been sent to the company, Davies said. About 200 iguanas were in one small room, she said.

A hearing will be held within 10 days to determine if the animals will be returned to the company or stay in the care of the animal welfare groups, Sabatucci said. The city is considering filing criminal charges against the owner, he said.

The city was tipped off recently by federal officials who had executed a warrant for another violation and reported concerns about the animals' conditions, Sabatucci said.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-exotic-animals-raid,0,6958797.story

N-TV NACHRICHTENFERNSEHEN (Koln, Germany) 16 December 09 Schildkröten fliegen heim

Fünf seltene Meeresschildkröten, die in Frankfurt aus beschlagnahmten Eiern ausgeschlüpft sind, reisen noch in dieser Woche auf die Seychellen zurück. Von dort hatte eine Urlauberin die Eier im März illegal als Souvenir mitgebracht und war am Frankfurter Flughafen erwischt worden.

Im Zoo wurden die Eier in den Brutkasten gelegt - "sie waren zwar ein bisschen verschrumpelt, aber sie rochen noch gut", sagte Zoodirektor Manfred Niekisch.

Vier Tage später staunten die Experten: Echte Karettschildkröten (Eretmochelys imbricata) krabbelten heraus, sie gehören zu den seltensten Meeresschildkröten. Wie viele Tiere noch in Freiheit leben, ist nicht bekannt. Wegen ihres Panzers, aus dem Brillengestelle oder Kämme gemacht wurden, waren die Tiere fast ausgerottet worden.

Sogleich wurde der Plan gefasst, die Tiere auf die Seychellen zurückzubringen, denn anders als in den meisten Fällen von Artenschmuggel ist der Herkunftsort diesmal genau bekannt. "Es ist ein ganz besonderer Glücksfall, wir vertrauen fest darauf, dass sie ihren Weg finden", sagte Niekisch. Der Zoodirektor stellte die braungemusterten Tiere mit der charakteristischen Panzerform am Mittwoch vor. Die inzwischen 20 Zentimeter großen und 800 Gramm schweren Schildkröten sind gesund, in der Natur können sie mehr als 75 Kilo schwer und 100 Jahre alt werden, ihr Panzer wird einen guten Meter lang.

An ihrem Heimatstrand, wo die Eier illegal eingesammelt worden waren, sollen sie wieder in die Freiheit entlassen werden. "Dann werden wir sie nie wiedersehen", hofft Dirk Hausen vom Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN), der die Holzkiste mit den fünf Tieren auf dem Flug begleitet. Die Transportkosten übernimmt die Fluggesellschaft Condor.

Bis zu 1000 lebende Tiere werden nach Auskunft von BfN-Referent Franz Böhmer jedes Jahr in Deutschland im Gepäck von Reisenden entdeckt und beschlagnahmt, denn der Handel mit ihnen ist verboten. Oft sind es Exoten wie Vogelspinnen, Reptilien oder Falken. In Frankfurt arbeitet der Zoll mit speziell trainierten Artenschutz- Suchhunden, die auch die Schildkröteneier in der Reisetasche der Frau aufspürten.

Allein diese Hunde wurden in diesem Jahr bereits 52 Mal fündig. Der illegale Handel mit geschützten Arten sei ein Milliardenmarkt wie der Handel mit Drogen oder Waffen, sagte eine Zollsprecherin. Der Frankfurter Flughafen ist dabei eine wichtige Drehscheibe.

In den allermeisten Fällen müssen die Tiere im Land bleiben, wenn sie die Reise überhaupt überleben, und werden an Zoos oder private Halter vermittelt. Ausnahme seien vor drei Jahren zwei Transporte lebender Falken aus der Mongolei gewesen, sagte Böhmer. Je acht Vögel wurden in Berlin in zwei Koffern entdeckt und später wieder in der Mongolei ausgewildert.

Niekisch appellierte an Urlauber, keine Tiere oder Tierprodukte mitzubringen: "Leute, lasst die Finger weg von solchen Souvenirs." Ihre Ahnungslosigkeit hat der Frau nichts geholfen, sie wurde nach BfN-Angaben zu 5000 Euro Geldstrafe verurteilt.

http://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Schildkroeten-fliegen-heim-article643467.html

LA NUEVA ESPAÑA (Asturias, Spain) 16 December 09 Montevil busca una serpiente (Marcos Leon R. García)

Montevil busca a una serpiente. Un reptil de gran tamaño sembró la alarma, al mediodía de ayer, entre los vecinos del citado barrio gijonés. Un matrimonio que paseaba cerca del carbayu situado en un parque de la calle Ramón Areces, cerca de la sidrería La Gran Manzana, vio al animal y avisó a los responsables del citado establecimiento hostelero. Uno de ellos, Roberto Iglesias, llegó a ver al reptil antes de avisar del suceso a los funcionarios de la Policía Local. «Yo creo que era una pitón por el tamaño que tenía, de más de metro y medio, y por su aspecto», aseguraba poco después este trabajador, quien no dudó en llamar a la Policía «porque en ese parque juegan muchos chiquillos y teníamos miedo de que les hiciera algo».

Hasta el lugar de los hechos se desplazaron alrededor de las dos y media de la tarde varios efectivos del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Gijón. Los funcionarios municipales intentaron sacar al animal, que se había escondido dentro del carbayu, pero no lo lograron, por lo que dos policías locales se encargaron de acordonar la zona hasta que llegaron los encargados de Cepesma (Coordinadora para el Estudio y la Protección de las Especies Marinas). Los trabajadores de esta institución se encargan desde hace ya seis años de la custodia de las especies exóticas que se encuentran en Asturias, no sólo las marinas, por lo que fueron los indicados para intervenir en este caso.

Luis Laria, el responsable de Cepesma, intentó con sus propias manos que el reptil abandonara su guarida, pero tampoco tuvo suerte: «Llegué a tocarla, pero no pude sacarla del árbol, por lo que en los próximos días intentaremos incitarla para que salga sola». Laria ha instalado una valla metálica en las cercanías del árbol para evitar que el reptil escape durante la noche y alarme a los vecinos de Montevil. «Durante los próximos días le pondremos comida para ver si sale y la podemos coger». Una vez que el reptil sea rescatado y se confirme plenamente la especie a la que pertenece, Cepesma buscará a algún particular que pueda adoptar al animal, «siempre que se responsabilice totalmente de él y garantice que no volverá a quedar suelto por ahí».

Por extraño que pudiera parecer, Laria considera que este suceso no es «nada que se salga mucho de lo que vemos habitualmente». Cepesma ya ha recogido en este año 2009 en Asturias «dos boas y tres pitones». En total se han hecho cargo de 300 animales exóticos que habían sido abandonados, normalmente en la vía pública. «Nos hemos encontrado muchas sorpresas en centros comerciales y parques públicos. Una vez incluso vimos una serpiente de gran tamaño que alguien había dejado abandonada en una caja que pusieron a la puerta de una mueblería de Avilés».

http://www.lne.es/gijon/2009/12/17/piton-montevil/848896.html

DE TELEGRAAF (Netherlands) 16 December 09 Krokodil bijt Fries in z'n bil Van een onzer verslaggevers

Amsterdam: De 26-jarige Marten Mulder uit Leeuwarden is in Malawi bijna doodgebeten door een krokodil.

De Fries werd volgens de plaatselijke politie drie kilometer meegesleurd voordat hij kon worden gered. Het roofdier nam naar verluidt een hap in zijn bil, benen en hand. Mulder reist met twee vrienden in een oranje VW camperbusje door Afrika. Tijdens de reis doen ze allerlei ontwikkelingswerk.

Het drietal, 'the three lefthands' zoals ze zichzelf noemen, waren in Malawi toen het gruwelijk misging. Volgens politierapporten ging de man een stukje zwemmen met zijn hond toen hij werd aangevallen. Mulder werd gered door een omstander die een ijzeren voorwerp naar het dier gooide. In het ziekenhuis kreeg hij twintig hechtingen.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5581304/__Krokodil_bijt_Fries_in_z_n_bil__.html?p=2,1

PALM BEACH POST (Florida) 09 December 09 At least 13 state-protected gopher tortoises in Wabasso killed for food (Elliott Jones)

Wabasso: At least 13 gopher tortoises were killed for food in the area of the county’s 111-acre Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area on County Road 510, county conservation lands manager Beth Powell said Wednesday.

Late Tuesday the shells of the state-protected species were found scattered on a one-fourth-acre vacant lot, on 61st Drive, bordering the conservation area.

The shells showed evidence of either being hit or shot. “They are eating them,” Powell said. Nothing remained except the shells. “They pried the shells open and cleaned them out,” she said.

An environmental consultant for the Habitat for Humanity found them about 4 p.m. Tuesday while checking the lot that is being considered for donation to the county.

If not for the consultant checking the land, the shells may have gone undiscovered, officials said.

The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County took the empty shells and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating, she said.

Powell said all the shells were from adults and some were at least 20 years old.

Most were killed in the past six months, but a few may date back a year.

Gopher tortoises are a state-protected species and it is illegal to kill or molest them.

Powell will be checking the conservation area for more shells and to see how many tortoises are still there.

In the past six months, the county began using the conservation area for relocating gopher tortoises displaced by development. Powell has no evidence that any relocated tortoises were killed, she said.

Counts of the number of tortoises in the conservation area have been done only in the northwest one-third where about 25 of the animals are believed to be living in 50 burrows.

“This is the worst case of gopher tortoise poaching that I have ever found in 10 years of working as the conservation lands manager for Indian River County,” Powell said. “It is extremely disheartening. The impact of this is terrible.”

http://www.tcoasttalk.com/2009/12/09/at-least-13-state-protected-gopher-tortoises-in-wabasso-killed-for-food/