Croc in crisis: Crow attempt to rescue Nile crocodile
A Nile crocodile that was spotted relaxing in a pool on the beach was recently rescued by Crow before its untimely passing.
A NILE crocodile that was discovered stranded on a South Coast beach, and then rescued by the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow), died on March 1 after it sustained severe injuries.
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Clint Halkett-Siddall, director at Crow, said they received a call on February 27, from a concerned resident who spotted a crocodile at Happy Wanderers down the South Coast. According to the resident, the animal was lying in a pool of water on the beach.
Halkett-Siddall and Zoe Dougall, a clinic nurse, made their way to the location, where they met the relaxed reptile.
“We took along our crocodile trap cage and all the necessary crocodile handling equipment. They had identified the crocodile as a sub-adult. During the operation, we remained in contact with the KZN Stranding Group, who were already on site,” said Halkett-Siddall.
After a lengthily rescue operation, they were able to place the crocodile in the trap cage before transporting it back to Crow’s facility, where it was left in a holding area to be watched overnight.
“The following morning, a larger enclosure was prepared with fresh water to accommodate the crocodile. While crocodiles do have salt glands and can tolerate salt water to some extent, they generally would have to acclimatise to such conditions such as those in St Lucia. Research concluded that Nile crocodiles thrive in fresh water and when exposed acutely to sea water, they can suffer marked dehydration and hypernatremia which can progress to seizure, coma, or cerebral haemorrhage,” said Halkett-Siddall.
Unfortunately, the crocodile’s health worsened overnight despite the team’s intervention. Halkett-Siddall said the croc’s exposure to salt water for the two days proved to be too much and it died at about 11:00 on March 1.
The unfortunate death of the crocodile exemplifies the sporadic nature of Crow’s work in protecting and rehabilitating wild animals.
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