Fishermen net crocodile in West Bay

| 05/12/2012

croc 3 (300x249).jpg(CNS): Officials from the Department of Environment have tagged a crocodile that turned up at Barkers in West Bay Tuesday and have released it into a remote part of the island. The crocodile was seen in the ocean off Barkers yesterday morning by a kite-surfer and two local fishermen brought him to shore before handing him over to DoE staff. From the barnacles on the reptile’s body, it is believed to have been at sea for some time.

 Although the Cayman Islands was home to crocodiles in the past, as the creatures have shown up in the fossil record, experts believe that the crocodiles turning up in local waters now are usually from Cuba or Jamaica.

croc 2 (500x333).jpgThis latest crocodile, which has now been tagged, enabling the DoE to identify him in future, was about four foot long and believed to be an adult American Crocodile (Crocodylus Acutus)  common to the region. With no mates and not much food, experts believe that crocs spotted in Cayman don’t stay around too long, although several have been found over the last few years. One of the most famous crocs captured here was an eight foot long specimen found in Old Man Bay, which is now in captivity at the Cayman Turtle Farm. 

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Some one give charles a cape. My life is boring in comparison. This guy turns up everywhere! Hes got a Cayman Islands spidey sense or something. Does he get paid to just be everywhere, all the time?

  2. Philo the Philosopher says:

    I have an idea, how  to keep all the animal lovers happy! I suggest we import a male and female each of the following species and let them go in the wilds of Cayman. Tigers, Lions, Rattle Snakes, Boa Constrictors, Poison Arrow Frogs,Black Widow Spiders and of course we must have a pair of Hyenas! This would be a good start, and hopefully when they start to proliferate   all the animal lovers will gladly adapt them as house pets so that the rest of us won't have to worry about being attacked by these sweet little creatures!

  3. Soapbox Sally says:

    Oh let him make a bad boy gang with Stinky. Together they will rule the north sound.

  4. Anonymous says:

    There are crocodiles breeding in Cayman and the DOE is in denial!

    • Anonymous says:

      Interesting, can you back that up with real fact? Pointless making such statements otherwise…just sound bites or ganja talking otherwise

      • Anonymous says:

        The herb is good for everyone!

        Hope you are not too drunk recognize the danger of alcohol and crocodiles!

  5. Anonymous says:

    At my son's college orientation in Florida, as part of a security presentation, they mentioned the Alligators and Crocodiles.  Well, the first thing I thought was, "let's get the h— out of here.  Cayman doesn't have those."  Look's like I was wrong.  

    We don't have any poisonous snakes do we?  They had at least 4 different kinds. 🙁

  6. Anonymous says:

    I thought Barkers WAS remote. Or is it now a Dart park?

  7. HEP MI says:

    Seriously Folks! If this is a Cuban Croc. we should not be letting them ago in the wild here. Those guys are vicious! Check them out on National Geographic. They are totally vicious!

    But as always we do stupid things like this and then when someone is hurt by these animals we will make a big to-do about it and get a law suit costing us millions and no one will take responsibility! LAWD HEP US. 

     

  8. Anonymous says:

    Look at dem manatees!

  9. Anonymous says:

    I find hard to believe that DoE has released a crocodile in the Cayman Islands. Is the government of the Cayman Islands not aware that when this animal grows larger and starts to hunt children and small animals to feed they will not be sued for endangering the public? I urge the public to destroy such animals if found again. Our government is obviuosly not voncerned with protecting the local human population.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am going to use the lurking child-hunting crocodile to scare my children into doing what they are told after the six week wonder of the naughty and nice list has passed for another year.

    • Anonymass says:

      Hunt Children? What planet are you on? It is ignorance like this that is going to send Cayman down the tubes.

    • Anonymous says:

      Believe me, they are doing waaaaaaaaaaay more to protect people here than they are to protect wild life …. Way more

    • Anonymous says:

      They are protecting the local population, the croc was relased just for the x pats 

    • Anonymous says:

      Two species of crocs were here long before human settlers came here and hunted them to extinction.  I wish we had a healthy breeding populastion of Cuban Crocs here to make up for the atrocities of our past.  This crocs ancestors had to pay a horrible price which should not ever be repeated.  We have no right to kill this beautiful creature but a responsibility to allow it to flourish in it's natural environment.  Yes, I'm a croc hugger and proud of it!

  10. Anonymous says:

    And in other news…fresh local croc fritters at XXXX tonight!

  11. Anonymous says:

    Charles for King of the Cayman Islands:)

  12. Knot S Smart says:

    Is this a UDP crocodile or a PPM? or maybe even that new C4C party?

    Oh sorry. I forgot that C4C is not a party…

    • Anonymous says:

      This is another threat to our safe community. We keep protecting them they will soon find a mate. I am truly surprised that we can be so welcoming and protective of potentially man eating animals. Where are the priorities – man or beast?

    • Knot S Smart says:

      So far I have 10 thumbs down, and 9 troll signs.

      C4C gave me 9 troll signs because they cannot make up their mind whether they will support the crocodile as one of the independent candidates for their party.

      Five thumbs down came from PPM who intends to get Tom Jones to build a nice low cost cage for him.

      Five thumbs down came from UDP – who if the crocodile turns out to have come from Jamaica, they will give him status.

      Darn. Im getting in hot water with everybody – hope they dont feed me to the crocodile…

       

  13. Anonymous says:

    I hope that the DOE is not tagging and releasing these crocs anywhere in Cayman waters, thereby endangering swimmers; locals and tourists alike.  If the darn things can swim here from Cuba or Jamaica, then clearly there is nowhere "safe" within our waters to release them.  Why not place them at Boswain Beach with the other one? 

    • Anonymous says:

      When this tagged Croc attacks or kills an American child, the Cayman governmnet willl be sued to the hilt.

      • Anonymous says:

        Is it only an American child you're worried about ?

        What about Caymanian, Jamaican, Philipino, Honduran, Cuban, Canadian etc etc etc children who might be at risk coming into contact with this released, dangerous animal ?

        Is the life of an American or any child worth only what a lawsuit will pay, should that child be killed by this crocodile…or will any amount of money replace that child in its parents'  lives and hearts ?

        Sometimes I really have to shake my head at what comes out of people's mouths/computers…and what is in their hearts…

        In Cayman.

        • Soapbox Sally says:

          I think you missed their point. It is not that they are only concerned with american children. They are pointing out that americans are much more likely to sue somebody, being a highly litigious country.

    • Anonnymous says:

      "……….released it in a remote part of the island…"  Just where in Cayman is so remote that this animal would not be capable of coming in contact with residents? I mean we're only 27 miles long.  It won't be long before we'll be swimming with him again.

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s a great indicator of society that now we see a wild animal, in THE WILD and we have a problem with it, so much so that we want it killed! Oh my lord, there’s a shark/dolphin/croc in the ocean! The horror! Protect the women and children! Alert the coastguard! Kill them all! We live on a Caribbean island for crying out loud, these are the things that make living here so amazing and I for one think Cayman needs more wildlife. Amongst all the Caribbean and tropical climates we have very few wild reptiles and mammals, our few remaining natural habitats are being grossly wiped out by development. News flash people; they’re supposed to be there, if you have such an issue with nature, move to Manhattan where your biggest threat is a pigeon.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Crocodiles or pety Criminals beware. Charles could be getting his bottle of beer, Charles could be surfing the ocean, You never know just where Charles might be so Nah Today Bo Bo. Pick another spot to mess with.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Nah today bobo – go dey Charles!

    • Anonymous says:

      I hope they feed the poor animal before he was banished to the wild younder. A wild chicked would hae been nice,????