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| Crocodiles Need a Home, Too |
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Northern Australia has 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, and with human populations increasing, conflict is inevitable.
Here at Wujal Wujal in Queensland, two crocodiles have been seen dangerously close to where the children swim. The elders of this aboriginal community have called in Senior Wildlife Warden, Brent Vincent, to solve the problem.
In the past, crocodiles that posed a threat would be shot, or taken to crocodile farms. But now they¡¯re protected in Queensland. Brent and his assistant Kate Pelling and ranger Brandon Walker plan to release these in the wild, well away from people. But first they have to catch them.
Finding the crocs won¡¯t be easy. Wujal Wujal lies on a long estuary. They could be anywhere. But the team are the best in their field. Brent has been catching cross for fifteen years.
One way is to rig up a baited trap in a place where a croc might haul out of the water¡like this quiet inlet in the mangroves. A line of logs and branches will guide the croc into a tunnel of netting, closed by a sliding steel mesh door.
A full moon is the worst possible condition for what the team is about to attempt. They really need total darkness. They¡¯ll look for the gleam of eyes in the dark.
Kate has seen the shine of eyes in the water. Once a croc¡¯s been spotted, they switch to a silent electric engine. They harpoon is embedded in the tough skin of the croc¡¯s neck. It dives to the bottom, towing the boat behind it. Now they have to haul it in. This may seem cruel, but the wound is superficial and soon heals. It¡¯s better than being shot and killed.
 The crocodiles are driven 240 kilometers to their new home, Lakefield National Park on Cape York Peninsula. This remote wilderness is aboriginal land, owned and managed by the clans that live there. Its bill-abongs, are a haven for birdlife and are also the key to crocodile conservation in Queensland. Despite their name, saltwater crocodiles can live perfectly well in fresh water.
Dr. Geoffrey Miller is fitting the crocs with a tracking device to follow their movements. If they stay put, it could be worth bringing more problem crocs here.
Understandably, people who live close to crocodiles find them unwelcome neighbors. But they¡¯ve been around a lot longer than we have. Perhaps we should change to fit in with them.
(CCTV-1, Dec. 17)
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