(MY) Friends of the Earth Statements on the killing of the killer croc

[Guest guest]

Dear Concerned Members,

 

Below are two articles from Friends of the Earth Malaysia/Sahabat Alam

Malaysia on the killer croc issue. We are definitely against the

killing.

 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) fully sympathizes with the family of a 12

year old boy who fell victim to a crocodile attack at Sungai Sarawak

in Kampung Bako Ulu. The loss of a child is most devastating, but

the crocodile cannot be blamed for doing what is natural to him:

hunting and attacking his prey.

 

In Sarawak crocodiles live in most major rivers and considered a

serious threat to people. The rare attacks on human are related to

defence of territory, protection of their young or accidental or

intentional provocation by humans. Their main diet is fish,

crustaceans, birds and vulnerable mammals that are found drinking at

the water's edge.

 

These amphibians are rarely heard off or sighted other than when some

careless humans get maimed or killed by one. The news is then splashed

in the local dailies and the hunt for the " killer " begins. The

whole village, government agencies including outside reinforcements

armed with all sorts of weaponry, firearms in addition to witchcraft

will then set upon these 'brutes' with an active hatred and a desire

to kill.

 

Mankind's overwhelming response to members of the crocodile groups has

been unreasonably repugnant. This would be that crocodiles are often

perceived as monsters themselves because of their scaly, slithering

and brute form. What is most appalling is the crocodiles reputation

as a man eater.

 

Normally deaths caused by wild animals will stir people into a frenzy.

When compared to the number of people killed by crocodiles with the

number who die or lose their limbs in automobile accidents, there

should be a serious change of mindset towards these amphibious beasts.

 

Man's understanding of crocodiles has been very limited. Along with

other wildlife crocodilians are threatened by many human activities.

Foremost and the most significant among these is the destruction or

alteration of wild habitat.

 

Habitat destruction has taken many forms. The most obvious destruction

of wetlands is by drainage and infilling, deforestation, conversion to

agricultural use and pollution. However, more subtle habitat

alteration may also be disastrous for crocodiles.

 

Due to their magnitude of size as they grow from hatchling to adult,

they require areas of habitat that are both large and diverse. A few

species are adaptable and are able to persist in small areas of

disturbed habitat such as the common caiman. However, most species

require relatively large areas (hundreds of square kilometers) of

undisturbed wetland to maintain large populations. High human

densities and past exploitation may have reduced these to remnants in

many areas.

 

Large scale illegal hunting for hides, depletion of food stocks and

other human impacts combined with severe habitat loss have caused the

decline of crocodile population.

 

Conservation of crocodilian population is therefore highly dependent

upon providing incentives to maintain crocodiles and their habitats in

a relatively undisturbed state, and a willingness to accept management

practices that allow crocodiles and humans to co-exist.

 

The Wildlife Division under the Sarawak Forestry Corporation should

undertake efforts to ensure that crocodiles are not exterminated from

the river. Humane methods of capture rather than killing of dangerous

ones for captive breeding stock should be considered. Captive

breeding can provide the stocks for re-introduction of species into

the wild, but this has to be properly managed.

 

The fragile wetlands used by the crocodiles should be given serious

consideration as a gazetted conservation area before its economic as

well as ecological characteristics are negatively challenged.

 

Measures taken such as putting up of warning signs along parts of the

river banks to alert fishermen and others to the danger of crocodile

attacks would help in reducing crocodile attacks.

 

Implementation of a conservation awareness campaign at the village

level and an understanding of the processes involved in crocodile

attacks, which stem more from aggressiveness during their breeding

season than from a mere desire to eat people should be conducted so as

to change the people's mindset against this fearsome creature.

 

 

Press Release

14th Sept 2006

 

Witchcraft no match for wildlife

 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is disappointed with the Sarawak

Forestry Corporation for allowing the villagers to have a free hand

for capture of the 'killer' crocodile to the extent of using

witchcraft.

 

The Sarawak Forestry Wildlife Division should deal with the tragic

event in a professional way and ethical manner and not leave matters

in the hands of the villagers.

 

This has resulted in the wrong crocodile being captured and killed.

How many more crocodiles are going to die before the true 'killer'

croc is caught?

 

This tragic incident has taken a twist with nothing more than a deep

hatred and a deep desire to kill out of vengeance, for a creature

whose only crime is to be born a predator, to hunt and kill for its

own survival. Humans are not on the menu of the crocodiles and rarely

do they attack unless a depletion of food source caused by human

activities or when accidentally or intentionally provoked.

 

The Sarawak Forestry should investigate as to the causes of the attack

and whether signages are in place to warn the people of the danger

knowing fully well that crocodiles are commonly sighted in Kampong

Bako areas. Tragedies like this could have been avoided with

increased awareness.

 

SAM is also perplexed as to why no study on the crocodile density has

been carried out by the Sarawak Forestry until after an incident has

occurred.

 

A survey is on population status of crocodiles is clearly needed for

although crocodiles are legally protected, illegal killing is

widespread. As such there is need for a conservation and management

programme to be put in place as with widespread impact by human

activities crocodile population may be at risk.

 

SAM urges the Sarawak Forestry not to condone the use of witchcraft in

the hunt for the 'killer croc' but to deal with the matter

themselves.

 

As the guardian of the state's wildlife heritage it is the

responsibility of the Sarawak Forestry to call off the hunt before

further killings of more crocodiles. They should be able to come out

with a humane approach to the capture of the killer croc alive and to

seek international assistance for advice towards a more humane and

compassionate approach.

 

S M Mohd Idris

President

Sahabat Alam Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia