Yes certainly agree - the crocodile guy in the video forged a bond with a
crocodile through an extraordinary experience, which is miraculous evidence
that crocodiles are capable of breaking the "everything they can overpower is
food" role; but we need only look at how they treat their hatchlings for that.
I don't in any way believe that feeding crocodiles is likely to make them kind
toward humans (come on - the statement was pure tongue in cheek wishful
thinking) - yet it'd still be a better world if they didn't bite the hand that
feeds them - wouldn't it.
I've looked at the footage over the years of crocodiles easily emerging from
the water to great heights for food and cringed, and I just don't understand
how so many folk are so flippant with the north-end's waterways.
As Denise has outlined below, and most of us on this forum know already, we
have to be very careful about what we feed and how much - managing for better
habitat is a far better way to give wildlife a leg up, especially in our own
backyards.
It is just such a terrible shame 3 people have paid with their lives this year,
for not taking the crocodile threat seriously - feel so sorry for their
families.
The difference in shooting crocodiles (read hostile behaviour toward them - I'm
not advocating that here, although it may sometimes be part of necessary
management straties), as in previous years, and feeding/making them a tourist
commodity appears to have made them less fearful of people.
With such a powerful, yet still wild!!, animal that can't be a good thing.
Regards,
Allan
On 20/08/2014, at 4:20 AM, Denise Goodfellow wrote:
> I shouldn’t think it makes them less likely to attack humans, whatever the
> tour operator thinks. Some of the birds on our property were fed for 25
> years before we arrived and they certainly associate people with food.
> Several years ago my daughter and I were attacked by large Antilopine
> Wallaroos at a wildlife park while we were feeding ducks. One snatched the
> bag of bread from Amber’s hand. We only escaped unharmed because I punched
> the kangaroo in the nose as it went to bring its hind legs up.
>
> The feeding of kites and goannas is discouraged in Top End parks because of
> injuries caused to visitors. Clients and I were bailed up by two Mertens
> Water Monitors at a Top End waterhole once - they were fed regularly, or fed
> on food scraps left behind by tourists.
>
> And if I remember correctly the suspect dingo in the Chamberlain case had
> been fed by tourists (and I think, rangers) for some years. Similarly with
> the dingoes on Fraser Island - remember they killed a child some years ago.
>
> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
> PO Box 71
> Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
>
> PhD candidate
>
>
> Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
> Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory
> 043 8650 835
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 20 Aug 2014, at 2:35 am, Peter Shute <> wrote:
>
>> Does feeding them make them less likely to attack humans? I would have
>> thought it would tech them to associate them with food.
>>
>> Peter Shute
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>>> On 19 Aug 2014, at 11:19 pm, "Allan Richardson via Birding-Aus"
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>> Shame the years of feeding haven't changed the way of the crocodiles like
>>> the one in the video below.
>>>
>>> The news said the crocodile that took the man had been fed for many years.
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlz6iNw0Qes
>>>
>>> Allan
>>>
>>>> On 19/08/2014, at 6:42 PM, Denise Goodfellow via Birding-Aus wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I often saw fishermen and their spouses sitting on the bank where this man
>>>> was taken. They usually identified themselves as Vietnamese. Although I
>>>> always warned them about crocodiles I never saw them change their
>>>> behaviour.
>>>>
>>>> Denise
>>>> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
>>>> PO Box 71
>>>> Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
>>>>
>>>> PhD candidate
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
>>>> Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory
>>>> 043 8650 835
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On 19 Aug 2014, at 5:03 pm, martin cachard <> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I must say I've spent many mornings sitting very watchfully & cautiously
>>>>> under the mangroves (on the north side of the bridge over the Adelaide
>>>>> River on the hwy on the eastern bank a few metres back from the water).
>>>>> I was always amazed at the size of some of the crocs floating along the
>>>>> river, especially heading upstream under the bridge with what I believe
>>>>> must have been the in-coming tide - some were huge!! in one hour one
>>>>> morning I counted 25 crocs sailing past all heading up-river & most were
>>>>> 15 ft long minimum!!!
>>>>> certainly a great spot for Mangrove Golden Whistlers & Arafura Fantails,
>>>>> but I have to concur with Denise, please be very careful if u ever go
>>>>> there!!
>>>>>
>>>>> even more astonishing for me was the size & abundance of the crocs at
>>>>> Shady Camp on the lower Mary River - what a spot!! there were at least 5
>>>>> or 6 big monster crocs hanging there that must have been 20ft or longer -
>>>>> one individual was the biggest male I've ever seen, & I've seen a LOT of
>>>>> crocs!! this guy was a minimum 25ft, no kidding!!
>>>>> what was most alarming about this spot was the teenage boys & their
>>>>> fathers actually fishing from the banks at dusk standing within ONE metre
>>>>> of the shoreline right where the crocs were - i'm not kidding, it was
>>>>> gob-smackingly dumb!! I told them about the crocs I had seen there that
>>>>> day, & they just dismissed it with a chorus of "yeah mate, she'll be
>>>>> right mate, thanx!!" then all had a swig...
>>>>> honestly, some people....!!
>>>>>
>>>>> cheers,
>>>>> martin cachard,
>>>>> cairns
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 14:39:43 +0930
>>>>>> To:
>>>>>> CC:
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] crocodile attack at Adelaide River
>>>>>> From:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes he did wade into the river, I believe. In another recent attack a
>>>>>> bloke was apparently dragged out of his dinghy.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I’ve heard several reports of people who live in the area, including
>>>>>> children, being lunged at by crocodiles as they fished or stood on the
>>>>>> landings or the banks. In the past a few residents have told me they’ve
>>>>>> complained about the cruises for this reason.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Denise
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
>>>>>> PO Box 71
>>>>>> Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
>>>>>>
>>>>>> PhD candidate
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
>>>>>> Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern
>>>>>> Territory
>>>>>> 043 8650 835
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 19 Aug 2014, at 2:09 pm, Jeremy O'Wheel <> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ABC news are reporting that there's never been a person attacked in a
>>>>>>> boat at Adelaide River, and that the fisherman in the last attack had
>>>>>>> waded into the river to un-snag his fishing line.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jeremy
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 19 August 2014 14:04, Charles Hunter via Birding-Aus
>>>>>>> <> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Denise,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When I was in the Top End last year I visited the Adelaide River and
>>>>>>> did the croc cruises.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I was amazed (like most people on the boat) at how high the 4 metre
>>>>>>> plus crocodiles could jump to get the chickens attached to the rope.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> After seeing crocodiles behave in this manner, I personally would never
>>>>>>> fish (or bird watch) in a tinny in any parts of northern Australia.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> After the croc cruise we stopped at other parts of the Adelaide River
>>>>>>> and saw many crocodiles.....
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Two weeks ago Dad and I saw a 4m plus croc in one of the permanent
>>>>>>> water holes in Lakefield N.P. (Queensland).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> At Iron Range N.P. a couple of days later the Ranger told us to be very
>>>>>>> careful bird watching close to the deep pools in the rivers and streams
>>>>>>> due to crocs (even in the dry season).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>> Charles
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Tuesday, 19 August 2014 1:39 PM, Denise Goodfellow via Birding-Aus
>>>>>>> <> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Since the early 1980s I’ve been taking birders to this area of the
>>>>>>> Adelaide River, mainly looking for Mangrove Golden Whistler.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Having more experience with crocodiles than most, I’m very careful with
>>>>>>> clients. Firstly I scout the area to ensure no crocs are lying under
>>>>>>> the trees, and then I keep clients keep several metres away from banks.
>>>>>>> Occasionally twitchers behave stupidly, one of the reasons why I’m not
>>>>>>> very keen on taking some of them. Jim Zimmer of San Diego made me tell
>>>>>>> his birding club what I say to such people!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My Aboriginal son, Reverend P. Nganjmirra, a traditional Kunwinjku man,
>>>>>>> said there were more big crocodiles around now that in his
>>>>>>> grandfather's time, probably because of the introduction of stock.
>>>>>>> Whether there is now a reduction of cattle, buffalo and horses I don’t
>>>>>>> know. But from the attack on the South Alligator River recently, where
>>>>>>> a man was dragged out of his dinghy it seems that some crocodiles may
>>>>>>> be targeting the next biggest item in the food chain.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anyway, I suggest that birders be very careful when around Top End
>>>>>>> waterways. Avoid hiring small dinghies for a start, and no matter what
>>>>>>> the twitch don’t go near the water!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
>>>>>>> PO Box 71
>>>>>>> Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> PhD candidate
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
>>>>>>> Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern
>>>>>>> Territory
>>>>>>> 043 8650 835
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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