Two Endangered American Crocodiles Killed

[warpedskydiver 0]

Two Endangered American Crocodiles Killed
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
Tue Mar 7, 4:42 PM

Two endangered American crocodiles, once considered among the most imperiled species in the United States, were found shot to death near Key West, authorities said Tuesday.

Both crocodiles, a 7-footer found Saturday and an 8-footer discovered Monday on Sugarloaf Key about 12 miles east of Key West, were shot between the eyes, authorities said.

A small caliber bullet was found lodged in one crocodile's head. The other also appeared to have a bullet wound between the eyes. Both animals will be examined for a cause of death.

While the crocodile is protected under the Endangered Species Act, it has been slowly reclaiming its range up the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from a last stronghold in northeastern Florida Bay.

The numbers have climbed to nearly 1,000 from a low point in the 1970s of fewer than 300, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year to propose upgrading its status to threatened.

They are found nowhere else in the country.

Crocodiles are protected under both state and federal law. Killing a crocodile is a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison.

The two dead crocodiles were 7-year residents of a pond in an affluent rural neighborhood, said Officer Gordon Sharp of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The animals were discovered about three miles apart several miles away from the pond.

"This killing in my opinion is a result of public concern for the safety of their kids and pets,"
Sharp said, adding that he has responded to numerous complaints about the animals from residents in the area. There have been no documented attacks by American crocodiles on human beings in the United States.

Such indiscriminate killings of crocodiles are extremely rare, said commission spokeswoman Dani Moschella in West Palm Beach.

"They were well-fed, healthy crocodiles living in a pond that was rich in bird life so they had plenty of prey," she said.

Moschella would not say whether authorities had suspects, citing the ongoing investigation.

She said officers could only recall one other such incident in recent memory, when a man was arrested in December for dragging a well-known crocodile nicknamed "Charlie" to its death behind a Hummer. Authorities have issued warrants for four others in that incident in Key Largo near the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, about 60 miles south of Miami.

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What kind of ignorant assholes are these people?

I think they need a bullet between the eyes (just like what they did to an animal that had the right to live free), as they are a threat to our environment, and a detriment to the human gene pool

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[Duckwater 0]

What a crock of shit!

[narcimund 0]

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I think they need a bullet between the eyes

*yawn*

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

I live in central FL and grew up in a rural area. "City folk" were always killing poisonous snakes and calling to have alligators removed from the lakes. Some people are just plain ignorant assholes. Humans and their homes, comfort, and safety are much more important than anything else on earth

[Steel 0]

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I live in central FL and grew up in a rural area. "City folk" were always killing poisonous snakes and calling to have alligators removed from the lakes. Some people are just plain ignorant assholes. Humans and their homes, comfort, and safety are much more important than anything else on earth

Yeah ordinarily I border on animal activism but alligators and poisoness snakes are where I draw the line. I hate those creatures. Still its important to note that the overwelming majority of snakes are not poisoness, and I hate when they are pointlessly killed.
,

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

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Yeah ordinarily I border on animal activism but alligators and poisoness snakes are where I draw the line. I hate those creatures. Still its important to note that the overwelming majority of snakes are not poisoness, and I hate when they are pointlessly killed.

I'm not a tofu eating PETA member or anything, but I don't think it is right to kill animals because you built a house in their habitat. Poisonous or not, no animal deserves to be killed for simply existing. If an alligator has your leg in its mouth or a poisonous snake is doing it's best rendition of the white rabbit from Monty Python's Holy Grail, then by all means kill the damn thing. If it's just chillin in the water or in your yard leave it alone or call a game warden. My neighbor as a kid killed an Indigo snake, said he thought it was a rattlesnake... Little did he know that carries a $2000 fine. The irony of the whole thing is that indigo's eat other poisonous snakes. Not to mention an indigo looks absolutely nothing like a rattlesnake, never mind it doesn't have a rattle.

edit: note that indigo's are not poisonous.

[Steel 0]

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Yeah ordinarily I border on animal activism but alligators and poisoness snakes are where I draw the line. I hate those creatures. Still its important to note that the overwelming majority of snakes are not poisoness, and I hate when they are pointlessly killed.

I'm not a tofu eating PETA member or anything, but I don't think it is right to kill animals because you built a house in their habitat. Poisonous or not, no animal deserves to be killed for simply existing. If an alligator has your leg in its mouth or a poisonous snake is doing it's best rendition of the white rabbit from Monty Python's Holy Grail, then by all means kill the damn thing. If it's just chillin in the water or in your yard leave it alone or call a game warden. My neighbor as a kid killed an Indigo snake, said he thought it was a rattlesnake... Little did he know that carries a $2000 fine. The irony of the whole thing is that indigo's eat other poisonous snakes. Not to mention an indigo looks absolutely nothing like a rattlesnake, never mind it doesn't have a rattle.

I eat two pound burgers so I am definately not some tofu eating vegitarian. I think PETA goes too far, which is unfortunate because I think they bring up issues that I strongly believe need to be addressed. When they go overboard, people tend to dissmiss their entire message.
I am not sure what exactly my position is on killing alligators, I certainly am not for any pointless killing. But they do pose a threat, not as much to people as to other animals, for instance dogs. If there was any doubt in my mind as to whether or not an alligator near my house would kill my dogs, I probably wouldn't hesitate to shoot the alligator.
,

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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Yeah ordinarily I border on animal activism but alligators and poisoness snakes are where I draw the line. I hate those creatures. Still its important to note that the overwelming majority of snakes are not poisoness, and I hate when they are pointlessly killed.

I'm not a tofu eating PETA member or anything, but I don't think it is right to kill animals because you built a house in their habitat. Poisonous or not, no animal deserves to be killed for simply existing. If an alligator has your leg in its mouth or a poisonous snake is doing it's best rendition of the white rabbit from Monty Python's Holy Grail, then by all means kill the damn thing. If it's just chillin in the water or in your yard leave it alone or call a game warden. My neighbor as a kid killed an Indigo snake, said he thought it was a rattlesnake... Little did he know that carries a $2000 fine. The irony of the whole thing is that indigo's eat other poisonous snakes. Not to mention an indigo looks absolutely nothing like a rattlesnake, never mind it doesn't have a rattle.

I eat two pound burgers, I am definately not some vegitarian. I think PETA goes to far, which is unfortunate because I think they bring up issues that I strongly believe should be addressed. When they go overboard, people tend to dissmiss their entire message.
I am not sure what exactly my position is on alligators, I certainly am not for any pointless killing. But they do pose a threat, not as much to people as to other animals, for instance dogs. If there was any doubt in my mind as to whether or not an alligator near my house would kill my dogs, I probably wouldn't hesitate to shoot the alligator.
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Yes but we are discussing American Crocodiles which only numer near 1000 in the entire world...

I am definately not a PETA member, but I do have my own beliefs about such things...

don't kill any animal unless you are going to eat it(or vermin), and if it isn't endangered...just let them go away, or get your animals away from it

[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

I would not condone killing an alligator because it poses a threat to a dog. The dog was brought into it's habitat, it's gotta eat something since all the houses are keeping other animals that use to come to the waters edge away. I'd rather someone would just call animal control and have the alligator/crocodile moved to another location. If it was killed though I'd hope it would be eaten and some cool stuff made out of it's skin, at least it wouldn't go to waste.

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I think PETA goes too far, which is unfortunate because I think they bring up issues that I strongly believe need to be addressed.

I would have to agree, PETA is a bit fanatical. Humans are meant to eat meat, i.e. we have canine teeth for eating meat, we are animals and part of the food chain.

On a side note, I have a T-shirt that say "For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three." Meat is tasty.

[Casurf1978 0]

If you decide to live in a rural area you have to accept the risks. It's like buying a house in the Keys and bitching about hurricanes and then when one destroys your house going to the feds and asking for money to rebuild it. Here in So Cal we have people buying houses close to rural areas where Mountain Lions live and then they bitch about the lions coming into the neighborhood. If you don't want to deal with wildlife then don't live there. A few weeks ago a man shot a mountain lion because he thought it was a risk to the community. He didn't even call the police or Fish and Wildlife, the fucker just shot the animal.

[Steel 0]

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If you decide to live in a rural area you have to accept the risks. It's like buying a house in the Keys and bitching about hurricanes and then when one destroys your house going to the feds and asking for money to rebuild it. Here in So Cal we have people buying houses close to rural areas where Mountain Lions live and then they bitch about the lions coming into the neighborhood. If you don't want to deal with wildlife then don't live there. A few weeks ago a man shot a mountain lion because he thought it was a risk to the community. He didn't even call the police or Fish and Wildlife, the fucker just shot the animal.

You may have a point. Luckily I am the Dallas area and I have never heard of an alligator near me. Even if I was to move to South Florida I would have an enclosed backyard and I never leave my dogs outside, so I guess it wouldn't be an issue for me anyhows. I was just thinking along the lines of it was the alligator or one of my dogs. In that case I would choose to save my dog without a question.
,

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[SkyDekker 1,155]

Do I dare ask what kind of dogs you have?

[billvon 2,475]

>I think they need a bullet between the eyes . . .

I think if what you said in your posts ever came to be, a lot of people in this country would look like swiss cheese.

[Steel 0]

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Do I dare ask what kind of dogs you have?

GreatDane and a Doberman. Are you going to draw a generalization about me because of what kind of dogs I have?

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[warpedskydiver 0]

true

[Casurf1978 0]

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I was just thinking along the lines of it was the alligator or one of my dogs. In that case I would choose to save my dog without a question.

I totally agree. Cool dogs BTW. I use to have dobie, now I have a 115lb female Akita. Sometmes I wonder if there is a dog underneath all that fur.

[Steel 0]

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I was just thinking along the lines of it was the alligator or one of my dogs. In that case I would choose to save my dog without a question.

I totally agree. Cool dogs BTW. I use to have dobie, now I have a 115lb female Akita. Sometmes I wonder if there is a dog underneath all that fur.

Yeah I definately prefer larger dogs that can take care of themselves. The only downside is that they tend to have a shorter lifespan. But atleast I try to keep them as healthy as possible to counteract that.
,

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[akarunway 1]

Were they sans tail and backstrap? YUMMY Never tried a croc but gator kicks ass

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[Scoop 0]

Now remembering that I'm in the UK and have no knowledge of crocodiles or anything... I really couldn't give a fuck.

Species kill other species. Thats what happens. Just because we've got a brain capable of making us feel guilt it makes it wrong!? WTF! Maybe thats our weakness, evolution fucked up there.

[billvon 2,475]

>Just because we've got a brain capable of making us feel guilt it makes it wrong!

That's not what makes it wrong. Our brain gives us the capability of completely wiping out other species, which _is_ wrong. Not because of guilt, but because if we screw with the ecosystem enough it will break - and we wouldn't like that.

[Scoop 0]

Pah.. the world will survive one way or another. Just maybe without the human race. We are so small in the great scheme of things yet we think so much of ourselves

[billvon 2,475]

>Pah.. the world will survive one way or another. Just maybe without the human race.

Exactly right. But perhaps we might be wise enough to not do things that kill us off (or that make our lives miserable.)

[warpedskydiver 0]

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>Pah.. the world will survive one way or another. Just maybe without the human race.

Exactly right. But perhaps we might be wise enough to not do things that kill us off (or that make our lives miserable.)

TY Bill!

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[cloudseeker2001 0]

I see no reason why humans and crocodiles cannot live in perfect harmony together! If that little bird can stand in that crocodiles mouth and clean his teeth for him, then I think humans should totally and without question accept the good will of the crocodile and learn to trust that animal, just as it will have equal trust and respect for us humans!

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[D22369 0]

"This killing in my opinion is a result of public concern for the safety of their kids and pets,"
Sharp said, adding that he has responded to numerous complaints about the animals from residents in the area***

If I saw them as a threat to my kid or my animals I would kill them also.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.