South African scientists install satellite transmitters to monitor Nile Crocodile safety
Environmental scientists at South Africa’s Loskop Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga Province have equipped crocodiles with satellite transmitters to monitor their safety following a recent spill from a neighboring coal mine into Loskop Dam. The dam situated along Olifants River was once a thriving habitat to the Nile crocodile and a very popular tourist attraction in the area.
However, this is not the first time the crocodiles have been in danger and decline of the Nile crocodile population in Loskop Dam has been of concern since 2005. According to a reptile scientist at the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Dr. Hannes Botha, mass mortality events occurred in 2005 and 2006, when the dam lost the majority of its crocodile population.
Dr. Botha revealed that only three reptiles were found in the entire dam in a survey conducted in 2011, the population had all but disappeared. “The crocodiles have been dying over quite a long period of time,” says Dr. Botha
The animals will not be evacuated from the dam because of the spill since doing so would be a significant “undertaking” as they were only reintroduced to the area last year, said Dr. Botha.
The Nile crocodiles are “impressive” creatures and “top predators,” crocodiles are a very popular tourist attraction in the area, according to Dr. Botha.
With the installation of the satellite transmitters, scientists monitoring the Nile crocodile at Loskop Dam hope to see “where the animals are living and whether they are staying out of harm’s path,” Dr. Botha said.
