South Africa - Kruger National Park

Nile Crocodile

 

Nilkrokodil

 

Letaba River

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. Due to its widespread occurrence and stable population trend, it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, and southern regions of the continent, and lives in different types of aquatic environments such as lakes, rivers, and marshlands. Although capable of living in saline environments, this species is rarely found in saltwater, but occasionally inhabits deltas and brackish lakes. The range of this species once stretched northward throughout the Nile, as far north as the Nile delta. On average, the adult male Nile crocodile is between 3.5 and 5 m (11.5 and 16.4 ft) in length and weighs 225 to 750 kg (500 to 1,650 lb). However, specimens exceeding 6.1 m (20 ft) in length and weighing up to 1,090 kg (2,400 lb) have been recorded. It is the largest freshwater predator in Africa, and may be considered the second-largest extant reptile and in the world, after the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Sexual dimorphism is prevalent, and females are usually about 30% smaller than males. They have thick, scaly, heavily armored skin.

 

Nile crocodiles are opportunistic apex predators; a very aggressive species of crocodile, they are capable of taking almost any animal within their range. They are generalists, taking a variety of prey. Their diet consists mostly of different species of fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. They are ambush predators that can wait for hours, days, and even weeks for the suitable moment to attack. They are agile predators and wait for the opportunity for a prey item to come well within attack range. Even swift prey are not immune to attack. Like other crocodiles, Nile crocodiles have an extremely powerful bite that is unique among all animals, and sharp, conical teeth that sink into flesh, allowing for a grip that is almost impossible to loosen. They can apply high levels of force for extended periods of time, a great advantage for holding down large prey underwater to drown.

 

Nile crocodiles are relatively social crocodiles. They share basking spots and large food sources, such as schools of fish and big carcasses. Their strict hierarchy is determined by size. Large, old males are at the top of this hierarchy and have primary access to food and the best basking spots. Crocodiles tend to respect this order; when it is infringed, the results are often violent and sometimes fatal. Like most other reptiles, Nile crocodiles lay eggs; these are guarded by the females. The hatchlings are also protected for a period of time, but hunt by themselves and are not fed by the parents. The Nile crocodile is one of the most dangerous species of crocodile and is responsible for hundreds of human deaths every year. It is a rather common species of crocodile and is not endangered despite some regional declines or extinctions.

 

The binomial name Crocodylus niloticus is derived from the Greek κρόκη, kroke ("pebble"), δρῖλος, drilos ("worm"), referring to its rough skin; and niloticus, meaning "from the Nile River". The Nile crocodile is called tanin ha-yeor in Hebrew, timsah al-nil in Arabic, mamba in Swahili, garwe in Shona, ngwenya in Ndebele, ngwena in Venda, and kwena in Sotho and Tswana. It also sometimes referred to as the African crocodile, Ethiopian crocodile, common crocodile, or the black crocodile.

 

Adult Nile crocodiles have a dark bronze colouration above, with faded blackish spots and stripes variably appearing across the back and a dingy off-yellow on the belly, although mud can often obscure the crocodile's actual colour. The flanks, which are yellowish-green in colour, have dark patches arranged in oblique stripes in highly variable patterns. Some variation occurs relative to environment; specimens from swift-flowing waters tend to be lighter in colour than those dwelling in murkier lakes or swamps, which provides camouflage that suits their environment, an example of clinal variation. Nile crocodiles have green eyes. The colouration also helps to camouflage it; juveniles are grey, multicoloured, or brown, with dark cross-bands on the tail and body. The underbelly of young crocodiles is yellowish green. As it matures, Nile crocodiles become darker and the cross-bands fade, especially those on the upper-body. A similar tendency in coloration change during maturation has been noted in most crocodile species.

 

Most morphological attributes of Nile crocodiles are typical of crocodilians as a whole. Like all crocodilians, for example, the Nile crocodile is a quadruped with four short, splayed legs, a long, powerful tail, a scaly hide with rows of ossified scutes running down its back and tail, and powerful, elongated jaws. Their skin has a number of poorly understood integumentary sense organs that may react to changes in water pressure, presumably allowing them to track prey movements in the water. The Nile crocodile has fewer osteoderms on the belly, which are much more conspicuous on some of the more modestly sized crocodilians. The species, however, also has small, oval osteoderms on the sides of the body, as well as the throat. The Nile crocodile shares with all crocodilians a nictitating membrane to protect the eyes and lachrymal glands to cleanse its eyes with tears. The nostrils, eyes, and ears are situated on the top of the head, so the rest of the body can remain concealed under water. They have a four-chambered heart, although modified for their ectothermic nature due to an elongated cardiac septum, physiologically similar to the heart of a bird, which is especially efficient at oxygenating their blood. As in all crocodilians, Nile crocodiles have exceptionally high levels of lactic acid in their blood, which allows them to sit motionless in water for up to 2 hours. Levels of lactic acid as high as they are in a crocodile would kill most vertebrates. However, exertion by crocodilians can lead to death due to increasing lactic acid to lethal levels, which in turn leads to failure of the animal's internal organs. This is rarely recorded in wild crocodiles, normally having been observed in cases where humans have mishandled crocodiles and put them through overly extended periods of physical struggling and stress.

 

The Nile crocodile is the most common crocodilian in Africa today, and may be seen throughout much of the continent. Among crocodilians today, only the saltwater crocodile occurs over a broader geographic area, although other species, especially the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) (due to its small size and extreme adaptability in habitat and flexibility in diet), seem to actually be more abundant. This species’ historic range, however, was even wider. They were found as far north as the Mediterranean coast in the Nile Delta and across the Red Sea in Israel and Syria. The Nile crocodile has historically been recorded in areas where they are now regionally extinct. For example, Herodotus recorded the species inhabiting Lake Moeris in Egypt. Additionally, the Nile crocodile is known from fossil remains to have once inhabited Lake Edward on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. They are thought to have become extinct in the Seychelles in the early 19th century (1810–1820). Today, Nile crocodiles are widely found in, among others, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sudan, South Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon. The Nile crocodile's current range of distribution extends from the regional tributaries of the Nile in Sudan and Lake Nasser in Egypt to the Cunene of Angola, the Okavango Delta of Botswana, and the Olifants River in South Africa.

 

Isolated populations also exist in Madagascar, which likely colonized the island after the extinction of voay.[58][59] In Madagascar, crocodiles occur in the western and southern parts from Sambirano to Tôlanaro. They have been spotted in Zanzibar and the Comoros in modern times, but occur very rarely.

 

The species was previously thought to extend in range into the whole of West and Central Africa, but these populations are now typically recognized as a distinct species, the West African (or desert) crocodile. The distributional boundaries between these species were poorly understood, but following several studies, they are now better known. West African crocodiles are found throughout much of West and Central Africa, ranging east to South Sudan and Uganda where the species may come into contact with the Nile crocodile. Nile crocodiles are absent from most of West and Central Africa, but range into the latter region in eastern and southern Democratic Republic of Congo, and along the Central African coastal Atlantic region (as far north to Cameroon). Likely a level of habitat segregation occurs between the two species, but this remains to be confirmed.

 

Nile crocodiles may be able to tolerate an extremely broad range of habitat types, including small brackish streams, fast-flowing rivers, swamps, dams, and tidal lakes and estuaries. In East Africa, they are found mostly in rivers, lakes, marshes, and dams, favoring open, broad bodies of water over smaller ones. In Madagascar, the remnant population of Nile crocodiles has adapted to living within caves. Although not a regular sea-going species as is the American crocodile, and especially the saltwater crocodile, the Nile crocodile possesses salt glands like all true crocodiles (but not alligators and caimans), and does on occasion enter coastal and even marine waters. They have been known to enter the sea in some areas, with one specimen having been recorded 11 km (6.8 mi) off St. Lucia Bay in 1917.

 

Generally, Nile crocodiles are relatively inert creatures, as are most crocodilians and other large, cold-blooded creatures. More than half of the crocodiles observed by Cott (1961), if not disturbed, spent the hours from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm continuously basking with their jaws open if conditions were sunny. If their jaws are bound together in the extreme midday heat, Nile crocodiles may easily die from overheating. Although they can remain practically motionless for hours on end, whether basking or sitting in shallows, Nile crocodiles are said to be constantly aware of their surroundings and aware of the presence of other animals. However, mouth-gaping (while essential to thermoregulation) may also serve as a threat display to other crocodiles, for example when specimens have been observed mouth-gaping at night when overheating is not a risk. In Lake Turkana, crocodiles rarely bask at all through the day, unlike crocodiles from most other areas, for unknown reasons, usually sitting motionless partially exposed at the surface in shallows with no apparent ill effect from the lack of basking on land.

 

n South Africa, Nile crocodiles are more easily observed in winter because of the extensive amount of time they spend basking at this time of year. More time is spent in water in overcast, rainy, or misty days. In the southern reaches of their range, as a response to dry, cool conditions that they cannot survive externally, crocodiles may dig and take refuge in tunnels and engage in aestivation. Pooley found in Royal Natal National Park that during aestivation, young crocodiles of 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) total length would dig tunnels around 1.2 to 1.8 m (3 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in) in depth for most, some tunnels measuring more than 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), the longest there being 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in). Crocodiles in aestivation are totally lethargic, entering a state similar to animals that hibernate. Only the largest individuals engaging in aestivation leave the burrow to sun on warmest days, otherwise these crocodiles rarely left their burrows. Aestivation has been recorded from May to August.

 

Nile crocodiles normally dive for only a few minutes at a time, but can swim under water up to 30 minutes if threatened, and if they remain fully inactive, they can hold their breath for up to 2 hours (which, as aforementioned, is due to the high levels of lactic acid in their blood). They have a rich vocal range, and good hearing. Nile crocodiles normally crawl along on their bellies, but they can also "high walk" with their trunks raised above the ground. Smaller specimens can gallop, and even larger individuals are capable on occasion of surprising bursts of speed, briefly reaching up to 14 km/h (8.7 mph). They can swim much faster by moving their bodies and tails in a sinuous fashion, and they can sustain this form of movement much longer than on land, with a maximum known swimming speed 30 to 35 km/h (19 to 22 mph), more than three times faster than any human.

 

Nile crocodiles have been widely known to have gastroliths in their stomachs, which are stones swallowed by animals for various purposes. Although this clearly is a deliberate behaviour for the species, the purpose is not definitively known. Gastroliths are not present in hatchlings, but increase quickly in presence within most crocodiles examined at 2–3.1 m (6 ft 7 in–10 ft 2 in) and yet normally become extremely rare again in very large specimens, meaning that some animals may eventually expel them. However, large specimens can have a large number of gastroliths. One crocodile measuring 3.84 m (12 ft 7 in) and weighing 239 kg (527 lb) had 5.1 kg (11 lb) of stones inside it, perhaps a record gastrolith weight for a crocodile. Specimens shot near Mpondwe on the Semliki River had gastroliths in their stomach despite being shot miles away from any sources for stones, the same applies to the Kafue Flats, Upper Zambesi and Bangweulu Swamp, all of which often had stones inside them despite being nowhere near stony regions. Cott (1961) felt that gastroliths were most likely serving as ballast to provide stability and additional weight to sink in water, this bearing great probability over the theories that they assist in digestion and staving off hunger. However, Alderton (1998) stated that a study using radiology found that gastroliths were seen to internally aid the grinding of food during digestion for a small Nile crocodile.

 

Herodotus claimed that Nile crocodiles have a symbiotic relationship with certain birds, such as the Egyptian plover (Pluvianus aegyptius), which enter the crocodile's mouth and pick leeches feeding on the crocodile's blood, but no evidence of this interaction actually occurring in any crocodile species has been found, and it is most likely mythical or allegorical fiction. However, Guggisberg (1972) had seen examples of birds picking scraps of meat from the teeth of basking crocodiles (without entering the mouth) and prey from soil very near basking crocodiles, so felt it was not impossible that a bold, hungry bird may occasionally nearly enter a crocodile's mouth, but not likely as a habitual behaviour.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Das Nilkrokodil (Crocodylus niloticus) ist eine Art der Krokodile (Crocodylia) aus der Familie der Echten Krokodile (Crocodylidae). Die normalerweise 3–4 m lang werdende Art bewohnt Gewässer in ganz Afrika und ernährt sich größtenteils von Fischen. Gelegentlich können Nilkrokodile jedoch auch große Säugetiere (z. B. Zebras) unter Wasser zerren und ertränken. Das Nilkrokodil betreibt intensive Brutpflege, die Mutter bewacht ihr Nest und beschützt die Jungtiere in den ersten Lebensmonaten. Die Art nahm eine wichtige Rolle in der ägyptischen Mythologie ein und war einst wegen starker Bejagung gefährdet. Nachdem die Jagd in den 1980ern verboten wurde, haben sich die Bestände weitgehend erholt.

 

Das Nilkrokodil ist das größte Krokodil Afrikas und erreicht normalerweise Längen von 3 bis 4 m. Große Weibchen werden über 2,8 m lang, während große Männchen über 3,2 m lang werden können. Sehr selten werden über 6 m Länge erreicht, als Maximum gelten 6,5 m. Die Schnauze ist 2-mal so lang wie an der Basis breit. Der Ruderschwanz ist kräftig und seitlich abgeflacht. Erwachsene Nilkrokodile sind oberseits dunkel-olivfarben, der Bauch ist einheitlich porzellanfarben. Die Jungtiere sind hell olivfarben und dunkel gefleckt und gebändert. Die Färbung der Krokodile wird stark von den im Wasser gelösten Stoffen beeinflusst.

 

Das Nilkrokodil bewohnt nahezu ganz Afrika inklusive Madagaskar, fehlt aber im äußersten Südwesten Afrikas, in der Sahara (bis auf ein isoliertes Vorkommen im Guelta d’Archei) und im Osten Madagaskars. Früher bewohnte es auch den Nil auf der gesamten Länge, findet sich heute aber nur noch im Oberlauf bis Assuan. Die Art bewohnt zahlreiche Lebensräume, so etwa Flüsse, Teiche, Seen, Sümpfe und Mangroven.

 

Es werden aktuell sieben geographische Unterarten unterschieden. Genetische Untersuchungen führen zu Spekulationen, dass möglicherweise einige davon auch als eigene Arten anzusehen sind:

 

Crocodylus niloticus africanus: Südliches Tansania, Sambia, Malawi, Mosambik, östliches Namibia.

C. n. chamses: Äquatorialguinea, Gabun, Republik Kongo, Zaire, südlicher Sudan, Uganda, Ruanda, westliches Tansania, nördliches Sambia, Angola, nördliches Namibia.

C. n. cowiei: Simbabwe, Botswana, Südafrika.

C. n. madagascariensis: Madagaskar.

C. n. niloticus: Südliches Ägypten, Sudan, westliches Äthiopien.

C. n. pauciscutatus: Östliches bis südliches Äthiopien, Somalia, Kenia.

C. n. suchus: Südliches Mauretanien, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Kamerun, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Tschad, Zentralafrikanische Republik. (Wird inzwischen als eigenständige Art angesehen, siehe: Westafrikanisches Krokodil (Crocodylus suchus))

 

Die Unterarten werden anhand ihrer Pholidose unterschieden.

 

Nilkrokodile wurden in den letzten Jahren auch vereinzelt in den Everglades in Florida gesichtet. Man vermutet, dass diese durch den Menschen illegal eingeschleppt worden sind und sich dort als Neozoon vermehrt haben.

 

In historischer Zeit kam das Nilkrokodil auch in Algerien, Israel und den Komoren vor.

 

Tagsüber sonnen sich Nilkrokodile meist am Ufer, nachts gehen die Krokodile ins Wasser. An den großen afrikanischen Flüssen, die nicht saisonal austrocknen, sind Nilkrokodile das ganze Jahr über aktiv. In saisonal austrocknenden, kleineren Gewässern lebende Krokodile bleiben wesentlich kleiner (2,4–2,7 m) als Krokodile in permanenten Gewässern. Sie verbringen die Trockenzeit in 9–12 m langen Erdhöhlen, die in einer Kammer mit einigen Luftlöchern enden. In einer solchen Kammer überdauern bis zu 15 Krokodile die Trockenheit.

 

Nilkrokodile gehen nachts ins Wasser um zu jagen – sie sind generalistische Fleischfresser. Der Hauptbestandteil der Nahrung adulter Nilkrokodile ist Fisch; im Rudolfsee im Norden Kenias machen Fische 90 %, im Okavango-Delta von Botswana bei subadulten Exemplaren 68 % der Nahrung aus. Weitere Beutetiere sind Vögel, Schildkröten und kleine Säuger. Große Nilkrokodile können auch Großsäuger erjagen. Sie lauern der Beute meist unter den Oberflächen von Flüssen oder Wasserstellen auf, an denen die Tiere zum Trinken eintreffen, und bleiben durch das flache Profil des Kopfes und die nahezu geräuschlose Fortbewegung unbemerkt. Das Opfer wird dann angesprungen, im Sprung gepackt, ins Wasser gezerrt und ertränkt. Unter anderem wurde von Zebras, Antilopen, Stachelschweinen, jungen Flusspferden und auch Raubtieren wie Hyänen oder Löwen berichtet, die von Nilkrokodilen erbeutet worden waren. Aas gehört ebenfalls zur Nahrung des Nilkrokodils.

 

Junge Nilkrokodile ernähren sich von deutlich kleineren Beutetieren. Einjährige Nilkrokodile im Okavango-Delta ernähren sich zu 45,6 % von Insekten und Spinnen, zu 30,8 % von kleinen Säugern und nur zu 11,6 % von Fischen. Ebenfalls zum Nahrungsspektrum junger Krokodile gehören Amphibien und Reptilien, welche jedoch vergleichsweise selten erjagt werden.

 

Nilkrokodil-Weibchen sind nicht territorial. Die Männchen bilden Reviere und verteidigen einen Uferabschnitt hartnäckig gegen andere Männchen. Sie schwimmen regelmäßig die Grenzen ihres Territoriums ab und vertreiben Eindringlinge. Gelegentlich kommt es zu Kämpfen.

 

Die Paarungszeit ist innerhalb des großen Verbreitungsgebiets sehr variabel. Wenn ein Männchen ein Weibchen trifft, hebt es seinen Schwanz und Kopf an und brüllt. Es schwimmt dem Weibchen entgegen, welches schließlich ebenfalls seinen Kopf anhebt und brüllt. Das Männchen legt zur Paarung seine Vorbeine auf das Weibchen und steigt von der Seite auf ihren Rücken. Nach 5 Monaten legt das Weibchen dann 16–80 Eier, die 85–125 g wiegen. Der Zeitpunkt der Eiablage ist ebenso wie die Paarungszeit höchst variabel. In Tansania werden die Eier zum Beispiel im November gelegt, am Victoria-Nil und Albertsee Ende Dezember bis Anfang Januar, am Ruzizi zwischen April und August und auf Madagaskar von September bis Oktober. Das Weibchen gräbt mit seinen Hinterbeinen etwa 5–10 m vom Wasser entfernt ein 35–40 cm tiefes Erdloch, in welches die Eier gelegt werden. Das Loch wird anschließend zugedeckt und zusätzlich ein Nisthügel aus Substrat und Pflanzenresten aufgeschüttet. Während der Inkubation bewacht das Weibchen sein Nest vor Nesträubern wie etwa dem Nilwaran (Varanus niloticus), an den die Krokodile dennoch oft Eier verlieren. Nach 84–89 Tagen kündigen die Jungtiere in den Eiern mit froschartigen Lauten ihren Schlupf an. Das Weibchen gräbt dann das Nest wieder aus und trägt die Schlüpflinge in ihrem Maul ins Wasser. In den ersten Lebensmonaten bleiben die Jungtiere immer dicht bei ihrer Mutter, die sie bewacht. Auf sich nähernde Feinde macht die Mutter durch starke Körpervibrationen aufmerksam, worauf die Jungtiere sofort abtauchen. Jungtiere, die von der Gruppe abgesondert wurden oder angegriffen werden, stoßen einen Hilferuf aus, worauf das Weibchen sofort zum Jungtier eilt, um es zu verteidigen. Die Nacht verbringen die Jungtiere auf dem Rücken ihrer Mutter. Dennoch werden in den ersten Wochen oft mehr als 50 % der Jungtiere Opfer von Krabben, großen Fischen, Nilwaranen, Reihern, Störchen, Hyänen und Mungos.

 

In der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts waren Nilkrokodile in ganz Afrika sehr häufig. In den folgenden Jahrzehnten sank der Bestand drastisch, da sie wegen ihrer Haut stark bejagt wurden. Krokodilleder wird zu zahlreichen Produkten wie Handtaschen, Gürteln etc. verarbeitet. Zusätzlichen Anreiz zur Jagd gaben Abschussprämien auf die Krokodile, da sie als Bedrohung für die Bevölkerung gesehen wurden. In den 1980er Jahren ging die Jagd aufgrund von Verboten zurück und Krokodilfarmen können heute den Bedarf der Lederindustrie decken. Auf diesen Farmen ist das Nilkrokodil eine der am häufigsten gehaltenen Arten.

 

Die Rote Liste gefährdeter Arten der IUCN führte das Nilkrokodil bis 1996 als gefährdet (vulnerable), heute gilt die Art als nicht bedroht (least concern).

 

Große Nilkrokodile können Menschen angreifen, die sich unvorsichtig in Krokodilgewässer begeben; Angriffe sind jedoch durch die enormen Bestandseinbrüche im 20. Jahrhundert weit seltener als früher geworden. Die meisten Zwischenfälle sind auf Übermut oder Unaufmerksamkeit der Opfer zurückzuführen. CrocBITE, die weltweite Datenbank für Krokodilangriffe der Charles Darwin University, registrierte bisher (Stand: Jan. 2014) 557 Attacken durch Nilkrokodile auf Menschen, 394 davon endeten für das Opfer tödlich. Nur vom Leistenkrokodil sind mehr Angriffe auf Menschen bekannt.

 

In letzter Zeit ergeben sich verstärkt Konflikte zwischen Krokodilen und ansässigen Menschen, da einerseits die Bevölkerung rapide zunimmt, andererseits sich auch die Bestände der Krokodile erholen. Ebenso beklagt die lokale Bevölkerung, dass verstärkt Vieh gerissen wird und Fischernetze immer häufiger von Krokodilen beschädigt werden.

 

(Wikipedia)

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