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The Forum > General Discussion > Culling Crocodiles

Culling Crocodiles

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*it also appears that Queenslanders are the most vociferous in their desire to cull the crocs even though the NT has more fatalities than Queensland.*

Dickie
That might be because Queenlanders are the ones to get eaten more often and have their lives changed. I can tell you lots of stories about farmers who have lost stock and their kids cant have a swim in the same places their Dads did as a kid.

Sharks btw are not controlled we allow Japan to come into our waters and cruely cut their fins off.

If we dont do something there will be none left.

Lets face it crocs in QLD area touchy subject only because of the Australia Zoo.

Pity the same people didnt put effeorts into highlighting cruelty to farm animals.

We should relocate where we can as quickly as possible because many more people will be killed.

Its very hard to raise a family in some of these areas.

Even harder to warn people camping because they just dont get it.

Either that or stop allowing campers and tourism
Posted by People Against Live Exports & Intensive Farming, Friday, 10 October 2008 8:46:09 AM
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GrahamY: "It's not just their environment, it's our environment too."

Really?

Then I politely suggest you go and explain that to the crocs.

BTW, you are wrong; the crocs inhabited the waterways long before any humans. Maybe one of the crocs will take the time to explain that fact to you - or maybe not :-D
Posted by Fractelle, Friday, 10 October 2008 9:06:00 AM
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A media report advises that "Queensland Environment Minister Andrew McNamara rejected the calls to cull crocodiles, saying they were misplaced.

"Mr McNamara said the Endeavour River did not have a high density of crocodiles.

"The EPA has recently done an assessment of crocodile numbers on the eastern side of the Cape and have found they have only slightly increased in a number of years," he told reporters in Brisbane today.

"It has one crocodile every two kilometres - it's not particularly a high density area.

"Calls to cull crocodiles are misplaced and insensitive in the extreme."

It is well known that saltwater crocodiles prefer to take prey from the water's edge where they will float for hours on end, waiting for a thirsty animal to approach for a drink.

So tough luck about the cattle Pale. You should bear in mind that cattle are an invasive species - a species which has trashed Australia's biodiversity. The croc is vital to this country's eco-systems - or what's left of them!

However, despite the warnings and signage (which I am told are adequate) foolish humans continue to invade the crocs' territory.

That Katter cowboy claims the crocs are in people's backyards though I've yet to read of anything which supports that claim. He's also reported as saying we should shoot up all the crocs because of one tragic fatality.

And based upon the findings from the Royal Life Saving Association, 110 people drowned in Australia during the year 2006/2007 so let's debate with a degree of rationale on the issue of crocodile fatalities, by first omitting the hyperbole.
Posted by dickie, Friday, 10 October 2008 11:04:15 AM
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Fractelle, on the basis of your argument we should all just lie down and die, because apart from somewhere in the African savannah, man is a relatively recent arrival in most areas.

I don't accept that as a rational way of looking at the environment. Species move other species out of the way all the time - it's how things evolve. I doubt whether crocs ever debate whether it is wrong for them to cull humans, they just do it.

We should accept that we will alter our environment and then make decisions as to how that should be done, not whether it should be done. So decisions as to whether to cull or not have ultimately be utilitarian to a large degree.
Posted by GrahamY, Friday, 10 October 2008 11:41:40 AM
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I agree with the idea of culling eggs rather than grown reptiles.

However, I wonder if this is a truly feasible plan? Female crocs rarely go far from the nest and when the hatchlings are ready, only do so in order to assist them towards the water - it would be virtually impossibly to destroy a whole nest during these brief absences, surely? If there are other females in the area they also keep a look-out.

Wouldn't trying to destroy nests be incredibly risky - if not close to impossible? Besides, of the hundreds of eggs that are laid, nature ensures that the majority fall prey to birds and other predators and so only a very few live to adulthood.

Wouldn't the danger far outweigh the results?
Posted by Romany, Friday, 10 October 2008 1:27:35 PM
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Fractelle “BTW, you are wrong; the crocs inhabited the waterways long before any humans. Maybe one of the crocs will take the time to explain that fact to you - or maybe not :-D”

Ah but all rights to exclusive use of said waterways were lost with Australia being declared Terra Nullius and subsequent British Colonization.

As GY said “on the basis of your argument we should all just lie down and die, because apart from somewhere in the African savannah, man is a relatively recent arrival in most areas.”

It is the nature of man to manage his environment, where ever he may be.

It is a point of difference which distinguishes him from the lower orders of critters.

A decision to cull or not to cull crocodiles amounts to a management decision, same way and a decision to leave somewhere as “wilderness” is a conscious “management” decision.

Crocodiles do not seem to make many conscious decisions.

They are driven by more primal urges like hunger and a lust to breed but they, like man, they are motivated by territorial possession, although they don't seem to do much with it once they have it.

In rivers occupied by crocodiles, I see little to suggest “social improvements” being undertaken for the greater welfare and benefit of all crocodiles.

So I guess they have missed their opportunity to display their "socially responsible" credentials and need to be taken under the wing of a benevolent government.

That is until they evolve sufficiently to take their rightful place alongside those who generally stand upright and carry the heavy burden of environmental management.
Posted by Col Rouge, Friday, 10 October 2008 2:16:06 PM
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