The elusive 3m uMngeni River Croc has been shot dead by wildlife officials after evading capture for almost four years.
|||Durban - The elusive 3m uMngeni River Croc has been shot dead by wildlife officials after evading capture for almost four years.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife confirmed that the reptile was shot at lunchtime on Thursday after a resident spotted it on the banks of the river, near Blue Lagoon, and alerted wildlife officers.
“A permit to destroy the crocodile had recently been issued following numerous failed attempts to catch it alive,” Ezemvelo said.
“The destruction of the crocodile was taken as a preventative measure.
“We have no doubt that the crocodile would have soon attacked human beings. We could not wait for that to happen, hence our decision to destroy it,” said Ezemvelo senior manager Cedric Coetzee.
The agency said the reptile had grown considerably over the past few years and there were reports that it had begun to attack dogs on the river banks.
“It was also posing a danger to people using the river. Kayaks and canoes are used on the river on a daily basis and people also use the river for fishing,” said Ezemvelo.
Residents and canoeists had reported frequent sightings of the crocodile in the uMngeni, or sunning itself along the river banks.
Though no attacks on people had been reported its presence elicited mixed reactions from locals, with some calling for its removal and others urging that it be left alone.
Shortly before the 2010 Duzi canoe marathon several attempts were made to capture the crocodile, but to no avail.
Just before the 2011 Duzi marathon The Mercury accompanied Ezemvelo croc expert Mark Robertson to the Springfield Park area where several baited traps were set to catch the croc.
With help from the SPCA and the Dusi Umgeni Conservation Trust, Robertson also patrolled the river for several nights using spotlights, nooses, ropes and netting. He noted at the time that Ezemvelo had captured and moved seven crocodiles out of the uMngeni river system over the past few years, all from the upper reaches around Albert Falls Dam.
The Mercury