Garbage Pollution in Canals Brings Crocs Closer to Belama Residents  

Representatives from government departments that work with wildlife joined forces with the Crocodile Research Coalition earlier this week to capture a crocodile in Belama Phase Three. As we reported on Tuesday, a large croc spotted in the canal raised concerns among residents. These reptiles are known to inhabit the canal, but the size of the animal captured on video that day was enough for residents to call on authorities to capture and relocate it.  Well, the team that set out to capture the crocodile was unable to locate it. They did, however, agree on one thing, the garbage pollution in the canal is leading crocodiles to venture closer to the properties of residents in the community. We spoke with Doctor Marisa Tellez, the Executive Director of the Crocodile Research Coalition.

 

Dr. Marissa Tellez, Executive Director, Crocodile Research Coalition

“When that video of the crocodile from Belama first went on Facebook, I was immediately contacted by colleagues, residents, other concerned citizens and I think a lot of people that were commenting on the Facebook page, nailed the real issue. The issue is not the crocodile, the issue is the trash in that area. And we must understand, pollution overall, if you want to look at the statistics and science, pollution us much more of a safety issue for the public than a crocodile, especially if it’s a species that is, according to experts across the world, not considered a “man eater”. Everyone knows there are crocodiles in the city, but if you want to make sure that a crocodile doesn’t get too close to the street, if you want to make sure the crocodile doesn’t start habituating to humans, clean up the trash. What happens is the trash starts attacking racoons, the street dogs, you are pretty much baiting the crocodile at this point. So, if the trash is cleaned up, it is most likely that large crocodile is not going to be in the area anymore. This is a concern where sure if you want to relocate the crocodile that is putting a band aid on the situation, the real situation here is the pollution in that area. This is where education comes into play, and I know there is so many great organizations and communities trying to clean up because they understand the concern about trash. Buit this is also about where the government can step in to assist with improving the waste management system.”