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Crocodile Specialist Group Steering Committee Meeting Goldi Sands Hotel, Negombo, Sri Lanka 20 May 2013 (8.30 am-5.00 pm) Agenda Item SC.2.1 Information Item South and East Africa Regional Report Report on Activities: SOUTH AFRICA Zululand Nile Crocodile Research Program A workshop was held in Kruger National Park in March 2013, organised by the Zululand Nile Crocodile Research Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The theme of the workshop was “Conservation of Nile Crocodiles and their Habitat” and the event provided an opportunity to review progress on research being carried out as well as identify gaps for future research. With 20 attendees, the topics covered included: • Nile Crocodile homing behaviour in the St. Lucia estuarine system • Changing the approach of Nile crocodile nesting surveys - a template will be drafted and circulated to workshop participants for comparison with current approach. The high rainfall experienced during the 2012 breeding/laying period has resulted in a drop in production in South Africa and there is currently a strong demand for hatchling crocodiles. • Trichinella zimbabwensis in Nile crocodiles: assessment of predilection patterns and influence on biochemical parameters • Ecosystem change and the Olifants River crocodile mass mortality events and pansteatitis in catfish (consequences of nutrient pollution and man-made hydrodynamic change for the Kruger National Park) • Aspects of crocodile health in KwaZulu Natal • Biology and ecotoxicology of Nile crocodiles in the Olifants River system - Hannes Botha reports that this project is focusing on contaminant analysis in relation to new work on lipidomics and has been an official collaboration between the MTPA, MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) and SANParks since the end of 2012. A second round of sampling is scheduled for some time in 2013. In addition, the decline of the Nile crocodile population in Loskop Dam continues to be monitored (now in its 12th year); Nile crocodile populations in the Blyderivierspoort Dam, the Flag Boshielo Dam and Manyeleti Main Camp Dam are also being monitored. Surveys of these populations include population size, structure and distribution. Hannes’s research also includes aerial surveys of the Nile crocodile population along the entire length of the Olifants River. Further work to study the biology, ecology and ecotoxicology of the Nile crocodile population in the Manyeleti Game Reserve is planned but still awaits funding confirmation. Concern was expressed at the workshop regarding the escape of approximately 15,000 crocodiles from the Rakwena Crocodile Farm into the Limpopo River during flooding in January 2013. Whilst a recapture operation recovered many of the escapees, more than half of the reptiles are reportedly still at large (http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2013/01/24/15-000-crocodiles-on-the-loose-inlimpopo).
The workshop noted that the IUCN Red Data book has highlighted the lack of recent survey data and regional status updates for crocodiles in South Africa, with the last national survey carried out in the 1980s. A coordinated effort is required in-country to decide upon a year to carry out the next national crocodile survey. The workshop also noted the need for an annual workshop in South Africa to discuss crocodile research and conservation. Other Research Drs. Danny Govender and Sam Ferreira report that a project focusing on spatial and temporal dynamics of crocodiles in the Lower Olifants and Letaba Rivers of the Kruger National Park is continuing. Results suggest that factors driving change in crocodile abundance are perhaps not uniform across different reaches in the focal study area. All river reaches studied showed declines in the study period 2008-2010 (coinciding with the outbreak of pansteatitis); however, there was a non-directional change in the upper reaches of both rivers during the 2010-2012 study period, and a continued decline in the Lower Olifants River Gorge Reach. In addition, the decline associated with the pansteatitis epidemic is now secondary to other drivers associated with habitat change, particularly within the Olifants River Gorge Reach where flooding and associated sedimentation in early 2012 severely impacted the rapid/run habitat. Thus, changes in river habitat features may restrict resilience and recovery of crocodiles to previous abundances noted in the focal study area. Drs. Govender and Ferreira note that the spatial objectives of the Project have been difficult to reach because fitting and retaining transmitters in the rocky gorge environment have proven challenging, with only limited data sets achieved before transmitters are either destroyed or pulled off. Recent techniques have held some promise with two crocodiles now contributing to 7 and 10 months of continuous data. These two crocodiles, with relatively long data sets, suggest that movements do occur, although crocodiles generally remain within a specific locality for some time. The recently-fitted transmitters should clarify more of the spatial and movement dynamics of crocodiles that could help to explain trends in abundances. Research into the causal relationships for the pansteatitis outbreak is also ongoing with a paper published in Ecosphere, November 2012 on the alternative feeding hypothesis, purporting silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), an alien introduced pelagic filter feeding cyprinid, as possibly exposing crocodiles to excessive amounts of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) through their diets, exhausting tissue antioxidant levels and thereby triggering fat necrosis and inflammation. The role of other factors such as environmental pollution has not been ruled out, with a recent project registered in the KNP and part of a larger basin wide study (Project partners: SANParks, MTPA, MUSC and NIST) to assess crocodile health in the system. The sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus), is also showing increased incidence of the pansteatitis disease. The paper is available online at http://researchspace.csir.co.za/dspace/bitstream/10204/6247/1/Woodborne1_2012.pdf. The results from both projects suggest that the crocodile population is undergoing some reorganisation in response to several changes, but that unpredictable environmental variation could place the crocodiles at risk of continued declines and even local extinction in the focal study area. Nile Crocodile skin market Howard Kelly reports that whilst the market for crocodile skins remains depressed, there has recently been a demand for good-quality large skins as well as for skins in the 28-34 cm range. Grading criteria continues to be a major issue in South Africa with many farmers now realising that, unless significant changes are made to crocodile rearing techniques, they may never attain the grades required. A number of old established farms have closed down, with others focusing their efforts on tourism. Many of the smaller operators are surviving through sale of small skins to the Mexican boot market and by means of local tanning through some of the established “crocodile tanneries” in South Africa.
Page 1 and 2: Draft Agenda for CSG Steering Commi
Page 3 and 4: General • Phil Wilkinson received
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Crocodile Specialist Group Steering
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Figure 1. Authorized harvest quota
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Crocoland Ranch already exported 71
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With regard to the Melanosuchus nig
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11. Implement actions to contain, r
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24. Re-establish the Cambodian Croc
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and the lack of understanding of th
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2. Carry out DNA testing of crocodi
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2. The proposal to transfer the Tha
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a) agree that Decisions 15.52 and 1
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second sunset clause expires at the
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4. Taipei Tomistoma Workshop In 201
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next year at least but some will ev
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funding for research aimed at the c
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Bruce Shwedick, Ralf Sommerlad and
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Attachment “A” Siamese Crocodil
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Information Item Crocodile Speciali
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themselves at the same time. A land
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Wildlife Service. 1995. Code of pra
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(1) The CSG should distance itself
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Decisions reached Five decisions we
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Criteria for defining countries and
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Session 3 Session three was carried
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ANNEX I MEETING AGENDA 09h00 Welcom
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  Philippine crocodile conser
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  B) Crocodile nests  Table
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D) Crocodiles killed/died  Ta
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occasionally visited by Mabuw
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1  tree  seedling  nursery 
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11    III Mabuwaya per 1
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