Content uploaded by Brandon Sideleau
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Brandon Sideleau on May 06, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
17
Acknowledgements
We extend our warmest gratitude to the Association of Zoos
& Aquariums - Crocodilian Advisory Group and CrocFest
for providing nancial aid to conduct capability building and
crocodile CARE campaign projects. We would also like to
thank all our partner institutions including JECO, DepEd-
Division of Siargao, Caraga Regional Ecotourism Committee,
Protected Area Management Board and DENR-PASU Ofce,
Barangay Council of Jaboy, and the MLGUs of Del Carmen
and Pilar for their valuable contribution to the success of this
awareness campaign project.
Literature
CPPI (2015). Crocodile Research and Conservation,
Crocodylus Porosus Philippines Inc. Annual Program
Progress Report, January-December 2015.
Rainier Manalo1, Ma. Theresa Aquino1, Erickson Tabayag1,
Philip Baltazar1 and Celsa Espadero2; 1Crocodylus Porosus
Philippines Inc., Pag-asa Farms, Kapalong, Davao Del
Norte, (philippinecroc@yahoo.com); 2DENR-Protected
Areas Superintendent Ofce, Siargao Island, Dapa, Surigao
Del Norte (denrcenrodapa@ymail.com).
East and Southeast Asia
Indonesia
RECENT RECORDS OF CROCODILES ON THE ISLAND
OF SULAWESI, INDONESIA Very little is known regarding
the status of crocodile populations on the island of Sulawesi.
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the only
species conrmed to be present on the island, although in
the past there have been suggestions of as many as 3 other
species (Tomistoma schlegelii, C. siamensis and a possible
undescribed species of Crocodylus reportedly found in the
island’s freshwater lakes) occurring there. The Saltwater
crocodile was once widely distributed and abundant
throughout Sulawesi, but populations were historically
depleted by hunting, the collecting of wild specimens for
use on farms and destruction of habitat (Platt et al. 2007).
Information of the species’ current distribution is limited,
but records of sightings, captures and attacks on humans
over the past 10 years suggest that the species is still widely
distributed, although likely in much lower densities. Recent
information suggests that in addition to habitat destruction,
human-crocodile conict (HCC) is also becoming an issue
of signicance to crocodile conservation (although to a much
lesser degree than in many other parts of Indonesia). Reports
of HCC can be used as important indicators of crocodile
distribution. It is of course possible that attacks on humans
may involve itinerant crocodiles wandering into new areas,
although they can also be indicative of a resident population
being present. For the period 2006-2015 we recorded 27
attacks on humans by crocodiles, resulting in 11 deaths
(Table 1) and 44 incidents of crocodile sightings or captures
reported in the media. It is possible that the number of attacks
is under-represented due to a lack of reporting in remote areas
and minimal information being available prior to the start of
our collection of data (in 2010).
Table 1. Crocodile attacks in Sulawesi by province,
2006-present.
Province Fatal Non-fatal Total
North Sulawesi 0 3 3
Central Sulawesi 1 5 6
West Sulawesi 2 3 5
South Sulawesi 5 1 6
Southeast Sulawesi 4 5 9
Total 12 17 29
North Sulawesi: Saltwater crocodiles have recently been
found 30-40 km inland along the Dumoga River in heavily
human-modied habitat, as well as along the southern coast
at Kombot village (Platt et al. 2007). In addition, it was
found that crocodiles were also present within the Talaud
Islands regency on Karakelang Island (Platt and Lee 2000),
in particular within the Rai River of North Beo sub-district
(Discover Indonesia Online 2016). Recent records indicate
that the species is present within the Ranoyapo River of
Amurang sub-district in South Minahasa regency along
the northern coast, from the river mouth to as far inland as
Karimbow village where a non-fatal attack was reported in
May of 2014. On the southern coast two non-fatal attacks
were recorded, one from a beach at Rerer village in Kombi
sub-district of Minahasa regency (the victim was apparently
dragged from his tent on the beach) in June of 2014 and one
from Buyat Lake (a freshwater lake) in Central Buyat village
of Kotabunan sub-district in East Bolaang Mongondow
regency in late December 2015 (CrocBITE 2016). A 2008
survey from the Sangihe Islands regency revealed a small
resident population of crocodiles residing at Laine in South
Manganitu sub-district on Sangihe Island (SulutIptek 2011).
Gorontalo: Saltwater crocodiles are reportedly present within
the Cape Panjang/Randangan Estuary region along the
southern coast of Gorontalo, although the long-term viability
of this population was deemed questionable (Platt et al.
2007; Platt and Lee 2000). The species is claimed to have
been extirpated from Lake Limboto near Gorontalo City as
early as the 19th century following bounties being offered by
the colonial government for captured crocodiles (Boomgaard
2007). No attacks on humans by crocodiles were reported
during the study period.
Central Sulawesi: Historical records suggest that Saltwater
crocodiles once inhabited Lake Poso, but have since been
extirpated (Platt and Lee 2000). Slightly dated information
also suggest that the species recently or still inhabits the
Morowali Wetlands area, the Ranu Lakes and within suitable
habitat in the Togian Archipelago (Silvius n.d.). Recent
records reveal frequent sightings and interaction between
humans and crocodiles within Palu Bay and the lower Palu
River of Palu City, including at least 3 non-fatal attacks
18
(CrocBITE 2016) and a child that went missing while bathing
in the river near where crocodiles had been sighted (no body
is reported to have been found, so it is unknown whether or
not a crocodile was involved) (Metro Sulawesi 2015). The
Palu River itself appears to have little or no suitable crocodile
habitat, which mirrors the aforementioned situation along
the Dumoga River in North Sulawesi, where crocodiles are
found in areas of heavy agricultural use (Platt et al. 2007). In
addition, videos have been posted on YouTube of crocodiles
basking at the Palu River mouth suggest that the crocodiles
have very little fear of humans. There are historical records
from the 1930s of HCC, including man-eaters, in Palu City. A
non-fatal attack and captures have also been reported from the
Tojo Una-Una regency (CrocBITE 2016), including multiple
captures from Wakai within the Togian archipelago (Portal
Ampana 2016). The single reported fatal attack in Central
Sulawesi during the study period occurred at Muara Besar
of Buga village in Ogodeide sub-district of Toli-Toli regency
along the northwestern coast of the island (CrocBITE 2016).
West Sulawesi: Very little information exists regarding the
historical distribution of crocodiles in West Sulawesi. There
are historical references to HCC along the Lariang River in
Mamuju regency. All of the attacks and sightings/captures
we recorded for the study period came from the coastal
Mamuju and North Mamuju regencies, particularly within
the Pasangkayu sub-district of North Mamuju (CrocBITE
2016) The distribution of attacks suggest that crocodiles
are widespread throughout coastal West Sulawesi, although
densities and population status are unknown.
South Sulawesi: Saltwater crocodiles are known to inhabit
the freshwater lakes of Matano and Mahalona (Platt and
Lee 2000) and recent information suggests that the species
is also present within the adjacent Lake Towuti which itself
is adjacent to the Malili River which is also stated to hold
a crocodile population. A fatal attack was reported from
Lake Towuti in 2006 and a large (4+ m) Saltwater crocodile
was killed in response (CrocBITE 2016). It has also been
suggested that signicant crocodile populations may be
present within the Ancona and Cerekan Rivers along the Gulf
of Boni (Platt et al. 2007). Historical records also exist for
the freshwater Lake Tempe (Platt and Lee 2000) and there
are recent records of attacks (including 2 deaths in 2014 and
2016), sightings and captures from the inland portions of
the Walanae River which drains into Lake Tempe and Lake
Sidenrang (CrocBITE 2016). These inland populations of
Saltwater crocodiles suggest that the undescribed crocodile
species historically mentioned to occur within the freshwater
lakes of Sulawesi (Platt and Lee 2000) may have actually
been the Saltwater crocodile. Recent crocodile sightings have
also come from major population centers in South Sulawesi
including Makassar City (Pojok Sulsel 2015), Palopo City
(Sindo News 2013) and Pare-Pare City (Tribun Regional
2013). In May of 2013 a single 2 m crocodile was also
reportedly captured on Tanakeke Island of Takalar regency
(Okezone 2013).
Southeast Sulawesi: A Saltwater crocodile population is known
to inhabit Rawa Aopa Watumohae National Park (Platt et al.
2007) and a monitoring team in December of 2010 spotted
36 crocodiles during a survey (Sugiarto 2012). In December
2006 two people were reportedly killed by crocodiles within
the Roraya River, which is one of the rivers located within
the national park. There were also reports of attacks and/
or captures of crocodiles from within the Konawe (Pohara
River), Kolaka and Bombana regencies during the study
period. The species is also reportedly present on the islands of
Buton and Muna within the Tiworo Islands. On Buton Island
a fatal attack reportedly occurred in the Langkumbe River in
July 2009 and a non-fatal attack was reported from the city
of Baubau in January 2012. Attacks have also been recently
reported from Muna Island, including a fatal attack along the
Tiworo River in 2009 (CrocBITE 2016).
Literature Cited
Boomgaard, P. (2007). Crocodiles and Humans in Southeast
Asia: Four Centuries of Co-Existence and Confrontation
in the symposium Environmental Challenges Across Asia.
Unpublished manuscript. University of Chicago: Chicago.
CrocBITE (2016). Crocodile Attack Database. Accessed 2
February 2016. http://www.crocodile-attack.info.
Discover Indonesia Online (2016). Sangihe-Talaud. Accessed
2 February 2016. http://indahnesia.com/indonesia/
UTASAN/sangihe-talaud.php.
Metro Sulawesi, 13 September 2015. http://www.
metrosulawesi.com/article/bocah-delapan-tahun-hanyut-
di-sungai-palu.
Okezone, 29 May 2013. http://news.okezone.com/
read/2013/05/29/340/814659/dari-mimpi-nelayan-
temukan-buaya-di-pulau-tanakeke.
Platt, S.G. and Lee, R.J. (2000). Notrs on the Distribution and
Current Status of Crocodiles in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Pp.
531-538 in Crocodiles. Proceedings of the 15th Working
Meeting of the IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group.
IUCN: Gland, Swizerland.
Platt, S.G., Tasirin, J.S., Hunowu, I., Siwu, S. and Rainwater,
T.R. (2007). Recent distribution records of Estuarine
crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in northern Sulawesi,
Indonesia. Herpetological Bulletin 100: 13-17.
Pojok Sulsel, 22 December 2015. http://sulsel.pojoksatu.
id/read/2015/12/22/geger-video-buaya-berkeliaran-di-
perairan-tpa-antang/.
Silvius, M.J. Indonesia. n.d. URL:http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/
wetlands/pdf/Indonesia.pdf. Accessed: 2012-09-25.
Sindo News, 25 February 2013. http://daerah.sindonews.
com/read/721432/25/cari-ikan-malah-dapat-
buaya-1361784685.
Sugiarto, D.P. (2012). Nelayan Muara Lanowulu Dan Buaya,
Interaksi Ekologi Dan Budaya Yang Saling Menghargai.
https://tnrawku.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/nelayan-
19
muara-lanowulu-dan-buaya-fenomena-keselarasan-
ekologi-dan-budaya-yang-saling-menghargai/#more-20.
SulutIptek (2011). Buaya di Sangihe dan Moral Konservasi
Kita. Accessed: 2 February 2016. http://www.sulutiptek.
com/herteg-1-php.php.
Tribun Regional 6 September 2013. http://www.tribunnews.
com/regional/2013/09/06/tiga-buaya-berendam-di-
saluran-air-bikin-warga-parepare-heboh.
Brandon M. Sideleau, 2900 Bayham Circle, Thousand Oaks,
California, USA (BSideleau@gmail.com).
East and Southern Africa
Madagascar
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN-
CROCODILE CONFLICT IN MADAGASCAR. Like many
range states for Crocodylus niloticus, human-crocodile
conict (HCC) is a signicant management issue in
Madagascar. Here, we present a preliminary assessment of
crocodile attacks, to better understand the distribution and
cause of attacks.
Number of Attacks
Data on Nile crocodile attacks in Madagascar were compiled
from various sources (eg DGF records, media reports,
CrocBite), and incorporated in the Direction Générale des
Forêts database. In all, 388 records of attacks were identied:
121 from 1892-1938 (the colonial period); and, 267 from
1987-2015.
Although data from 1892 (the earliest record) to 1938
provide useful information, the number of attacks in this
period is considered to be well under-reported, and as such
these data are of limited utility for quantifying trends over
time. Likewise, the lack of records between 1939 and 1986
is considered to reect a lack of reporting and/or the ability to
locate records of attacks, rather than the absence of attacks.
Fatality Rate
The fatality rate for 1892-1938 (80.2%; N= 97) was higher
than that reported for 1987-2015 (56.2%; N= 150). It is
possible that non-fatal attacks in 1892-1938 were less likely
to be reported, and the difference in fatality rate between the
two periods may reect under-reporting. The fatality rate for
1987-2015 (56%) is similar to that reported for C. niloticus
by Fergusson (2004) (63%) and C. porosus in Sri Lanka
(Stevenson et al. (2014). Pooley (2014) reported a fatality
rate of 49.2% for C. niloticus in South Africa and Swaziland .
Sex and Age of Victims
Considering the 159 records where the sex of victims was
available, males comprised the majority of attacks (71.7%).
Of the 61 records where the age of victims was known, a high
proportion (36.1%) of victims were children (1-15 y) (Fig.
1). The average age of victims was 26.4 y (range 2 to 70 y).
Figure 1. Distribution of victim ages (N= 61).
Month of Attack
Most attacks have occurred in the warmer months of the
year (October-May; Fig. 2), which also coincides with the
rainy season (most annual rainfall is received in December-
March). There was an average of 14.5 attacks per month in
October-May relative to 6.3 per month in July-September.
The higher frequency of attacks during the warmer times of
the year, when crocodilians are more active, is common to
many crocodilians (eg Manolis and Webb 2013; Conover and
Dubow 1997; Fergusson 2004).
Figure 2. Monthly distribution of crocodile attacks (N= 142).
Trends
Within 1987-2015 there appear to be two distinct periods of
high attack frequency: 1990-1995 (average of 24.8 attacks
per year); and, and 2008-2015 (average of 12.0 attacks per
year) (Table 1; Fig. 3).
