size: 5405KB - Crocodile Specialist Group

Running over a minimum of 3 years of time, the program includes:
Ecological monitoring and creation of a Study Centre and Valuation of Wet Zone: CEVZHU. The
CEZHU is a science center for monitoring and conservation of the wetland. It hosts the program
activities at the heart of the project area, on the island of Karey-Kopto. There, working eight ecoguards
trained by the project and features the ranger station in ecological monitoring and the fight
against poaching. The establishment of permanent ponds for Nile crocodiles on the Island
Conservation Karey Kopto. The setting up of a reintroduction of Nile crocodile to strengthen the last
wild populations.
The Development of Income-Generating Activities such as a Fish Breeding farm (9 breeding ponds
and 18 floating cages) and help to value agricultural by-products through granulation (making food).
More can be learned about this program at www.coeco.asso.fr.
The idea of having a third meeting in Benin in the Penjari Park next autumn was abandoned, as the
place was part of the WPACA complex and not bring anything new. The responsibility to organize
the next West African Meeting was taken over by Mathew Shirley.
Matthew Shirley report
Since the 2012 CSG meeting in Manila there have been some very exciting updates in western
Africa. First, I am very happy to say that I have finally finished my dissertation, graduated and will
be gainfully employed full-time in Gabon for the foreseeable future. As part of this, I will be
looking to continue several crocodile activities in Gabon. In 2012 I partnered with the Smithsonian
Institute-Gabon program to use satellite telemetry to explore the coastal movements of Nile
crocodiles including their use of the marine environment. We are going to expand this project in
2013 to look at the impact of the oil industry on crocodiles, particularly Dwarf crocodile abundance
and trade. Since 2012 I have been working with researchers from the French IRD and University of
Rouen to study a unique population of cave-dwelling Osteolaemus which we will continue, bringing
in collaborations with Marissa Tellez to explore the coevolution of Osteolaemus and its parasites.
Finally, as of late 2012 the Gabonese National Parks Agency (ANPN) has finalized drafts of the 10-
year management plans for all national parks. Annual crocodile monitoring is one of the top
biodiversity objectives for 6 of the 13 national parks. As part of this, I am collaborating with ANPN
to look at the trade in crocodiles at the most significant bushmeat port in Gabon (Lambarene) with a
view to making this sustainable so as to minimize the impact on protected crocodile populations.
Outside of Gabon the most significant activity is taking place in Cote d’Ivoire. The Zoo National
d’Abidjan has recently employed an independent zoo consultant to help rehabilitate this facility - an
activity which has found the backing of all levels of government including the presidency and most
embassies. The focal project of the zoo rehabilitation will be reinitiating captive breeding of the
West African endemic Mecistops cataphractus for the express purpose of reintroduction. I visited
the facility in February 2013 to train the zoo staff in crocodile handling and care, examine the
facilities for rehabilitation needs, inspect the crocodiles towards the purpose of forming breeding
groups, and establish the necessary links with the government and other institutions. Since that
time, we now have M. cataphractus eggs from 7 different clutches incubating (something that has
not happened since before 2000) and are signing agreements with the Ministry of Water and Forests
to conduct a nationwide program on human-crocodile conflict and conservation. The former is
focused on Crocodylus suchus due to human fatalities at the presidential palace in Yamoussoukro in
summer 2012 and recent sightings of this species in the Ebrie Lagoon in downtown Abidjan. The
latter is to be focused on M. cataphractus with the captive breeding and reintroduction playing the
focal role. The national parks service is a ready and willing collaborator with whom we will work to