GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - If you have always felt slightly uneasy about swimming in a river, you may be forgiven for being cautious or downright scared, after recent reports of crocodiles shot by farmers on the shores of the Palmiet River and other tributaries of the Klein Brak River.
But Chairman of the South Cape Hunters and Conservation Society, Neels Meyer said this week he was personally involved in two being shot and killed, and he is aware of two more incidents.
"We alerted the authorities and took action because we have families to think of, but we feel that the matter is now under control and there is no reason for panic."
The crocodiles were small - about 1,5 metres - and they were found in the vicinity of Palmiet River, 20km upstream and inland from the Klein Brak River mouth and quite a distance to the north east of the Brandwag community.
"We cautioned landowners, but since then we have combed all the riverbeds downstream and have seen no trace of the crocs. Admittedly when small, the Nile crocodile is difficult to detect, because when they feel the vibration of humans walking, they simply slide into the river and disappear. There is also a lot of fish, and bird life for them to feed off to keep alive."
A fortnight ago Louise Karsten of the Mossel Bay Advertiser reported that at least six Nile crocodiles were spotted in the vicinity of the Palmiet, Haalkraal and Kouma Rivers which are upper reaches of the Klein Brak River.
They were spotted by the South Cape Hunters and Conservation Society members over a thee-month period. It has been said the crocodiles escaped from a hatchery on a cro-codile farm during flooding some years ago. The cattle farmer who purchased the farm recently said he was planning to get rid of the 400 breeding crocodiles.
Meyer says he believes the crocodile eggs hatched when the right temperatures occurred after the 2007 floods. He said that apart from a few in a small dam on a farm, he believed that no more crocodiles would be found.
A municipal spokesperson said that the Mossel Bay Municipality had distributed pamphlets to warn the public about their presence, but left the matter in the hands of CapeNature. Nathalie Baker said this week that CN had set traps for the crocodiles, but stepped up matters by issuing permits to farmers to shoot them. At present it is being assumed that there is no reason for alarm, and that everything is under control.
- George Herald
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