Crocodiles and climate change

Remember Tick Tock, the crocodile in the Disney animated movie "Peter Pan"? He had swallowed an alarm clock, and you can always hear him coming.

Tick Tock is always coming for the evil Captain Hook. Ever since Peter Pan cut off Hook's hand and fed it to the crocodile, Tick Tock has been pursuing Hook relentlessly, wanting nothing more than to gobble up the rest of him.

Unfortunately for Tick Tock (and fortunately for Hook), he's a very big crocodile and moves extremely slowly. So Hook always listens for the sound of a ticking clock, and when he hears it, he knows it's time to get moving before the always-hungry Tick Tock catches up with him.

Well, kids, here's some bad news. We have our own Tick Tock heading our way. It's called climate change. It's moving slowly, like the crocodile, but it never stops.

We don't notice changing climate from day to day because of short-term fluctuations in weather and medium-term seasonal weather patterns like shifts in the jet stream. So it's easy to believe that the climate isn't really changing at all. But it is.

Setting aside all the weather-related highs and lows, how fast is our climate changing? And will it, like the slow but steady Tick Tock, ever catch us and eat us?

One way to visualize climate change is to compare the rate that our own hometown is warming with the rate that we would warm up if we headed south to Orlando, Fla., home of Disney World and our friend the ticking crocodile.

Let's compare the numbers. First, if we stay in just one place, how fast will our climate warm?

According to NASA scientists, the average temperature in the United States is increasing by 0.37 degrees Fahrenheit every decade. Rounding off, that's about 0.04 degrees per year. Doesn't sound like much, right?

Well, that's 10 times the rate of the fastest global warming period ever recorded or estimated by scientists by looking at geological evidence. It's incredibly fast as Earth's history goes, but not something you'd notice from year to year.

Now let's look at how fast you'd warm up if you headed south from Pittsburgh to Orlando to visit our friend Tick Tock.

Orlando's average temperature over the course of a year is 73 degrees. Here in Pittsburgh, it's 52 degrees. So that's a difference of 21 degrees.

Orlando is 781 miles south of Pittsburgh. Do the math, and you'll see that for every mile that you go south, the temperature increases by, on the average, 0.027 degrees.

Well, that's interesting! Go south for a mile and a half and the temperature increases by 0.04 degrees. Don't want to leave home? No problem. Just wait a year and the temperature will also increase by 0.04 degrees!

In other words, for every year that goes by, it's as if you, your family, your house, your yard and your entire neighborhood all slid southward by a mile and a half.

How fast does something move if it travels 1.5 miles per year? Not fast at all if you're sitting and watching it, assuming that the chair that you're sitting in is unaffected by climate change and is not also moving southward. A mile and a half per year is roughly 22 feet per day. That's 11 inches per hour.

Now, if you see that your house is sliding south at 11 inches per hour, you might think that's nothing to worry about, right? It's about the width of a toothpick every three seconds. Get down on your hands and knees and look with a magnifying glass and you'd see your house grinding very slowly through the dirt. Step back a couple of steps, though, and you won't see it.

But such little movements add up. Sure, you can't see your house moving south. But go to bed at night, and you'll wake up in the morning to find that you're 4 or 5 feet closer to Disney World than when you went to bed. A year later you'll be a mile and a half closer to the sunny South.

Seventy five years from now, you and your house will be, more or less, at the latitude of Washington, D.C. Not a bad place to be. But as you sit on your front porch, you'll probably think back to when it used to snow in the winter. Yup, you say, we just don't see snow much anymore. I remember when we used to go sledding in the winter and the snowdrifts were up to here.

Massive crocodile frightens villagers in C. Java

A five-meter long crocodile terrorized residents of Kedungwiangun village in Klirong district, Kebumen regency, Central Java, on Tuesday.

The reptile was spotted in the paddy and is believed to have been carried to the location by the overflowing Luk Ulo River following heavy rain the night before.

Some residents tried to catch the animal, but in doing so they provoked it to get out of the water, run wild and cause panic.

"We were unaware that the crocodile is that big. So we all ran away once it got to the ground with its mouth wide open," said villager Turyono. "It came after us fast. It was ferocious."

Numerous attempts to catch the apparently angered crocodile failed. Some tried to use bamboo sticks and steel wire to snare it, but the reptile broke the trap.

"The crocodile then disappeared, but villagers are now haunted by fear that it could return," Turyono said.

Kebumen Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Willy Budiyanto criticized the villagers for attempting to catch the animal.

"It is dangerous to try to catch a crocodile without proper knowledge, not to mention the fact that they did it at very close range," he said.

In Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, a 50-year-old man is missing after he was reportedly attacked by a wild crocodile near the Balang Island bridge on Wednesday.

"The man, Maskur, was attacked when he and his two children set up a fish trap," said Octavianto from the East and North Kalimantan SAR Agency.

'Idiots of the century' swim in baited croc trap

A group of men seen swimming inside a baited crocodile trap in Australia near where a woman was recently eaten were blasted as "idiots of the century" Tuesday.

Photos posted on Facebook showed the four men clambering on the floating trap set near a marina at Port Douglas in northern Queensland state and even posing inside it.

It is not far from where a 4.3-metre (14-foot) croc killed dementia sufferer Anne Cameron.

The beast that took the 79-year-old less than two weeks ago was trapped and human remains found inside, but plenty of other crocodiles inhabit the rivers and seas in the area.

Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said she was stunned at their stupidity.

"I was absolutely gobsmacked, this is incredibly stupid and dangerous behaviour," she said told broadcaster ABC.

"I'm wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award."

Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles also weighed in, tweeting: "Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don't swim in them! It's stupid, and illegal."

Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia's tropical north and kill an average of two people a year.

Their numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s, with Cameron's death reigniting calls to control them.

Queensland's environment department said the men's actions were "reckless".

"These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present," it said in a statement.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that interfering with crocodile traps can be potentially life-threatening for the person concerned."

There are fines of up to Aus$15,000 (US$11,700) for interfering with a crocodile trap.

Hunt for tens of millions in Crocodile Dundee profits is on again

THE hunt for tens of millions of dollars in Crocodile Dundee profits is on again with federal prosecutors considering whether to charge Paul Hogan's former accountant, who thought he was in the clear.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has revealed to News Corp Australia that the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is currently considering whether to commence proceedings against Tony Stewart, who provided financial advice to Hogan and collaborator John "Strop" Cornell for at least 15 years.

In 2005 the trio became the focus of Australia's most expensive and high-profile tax probe after the ACIC's forerunner, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), raided a Melbourne hotel room and found explosive documents on a laptop. The men were investigated on suspicion of squirrelling away much of the hit films' earnings in trusts and companies stretching from Switzerland to the Caribbean.

In 2010 the ACC dropped its investigation into Hogan and Cornell; two years later the duo and the ATO settled claims against each other without any admissions of liability. Not a single tax evasion charge has ever been laid against Hogan, Cornell or Stewart and they have always denied doing anything wrong.

When News Corp Australia told Stewart the DPP was now looking at whether to charge him, he said: "It's news to me … I don't know what all this is about.

"I've been investigated by the ACC … and I've been cleared. It's over as far as I'm concerned."

He then revealed that he too had settled with authorities, in December 2014.

Asked if there was any missing money in Swiss bank accounts, Stewart said: "I am not in a position to comment; there is a whole heap of confidentiality agreements and also I was a professional adviser to Paul and John and in that regard I still have a professional responsibility to them.

"There are sort of handcuffs on me and I have to keep my mouth shut."

The revelations that Stewart had settled yet is in the crosshairs once more leaves open the possibility that Hogan could also face further investigation.

Hogan's California-based manager Douglas Urbanski said: "We are unaware of any reopening of any investigation into Mr Hogan. I will mention that after a years long investigation, it was eventually dropped for lack of evidence. Worth mentioning is that Mr Hogan was compensated by the state for a portion of his legal fees in the matter."

The Australian solicitor who represents all three men, Andrew Robinson, said "Mr Stewart denies and will continue to deny any wrongdoing."

Mr Robinson added that he had received "no communication from any federal agency" in the seven years since the ACC "took the unprecedented step of issuing a press release advising the public that the investigation" into Hogan and Cornell was over.

The ACIC, which replaced the ACC in 2015, would not make further comment. The DPP and ATO would not comment.

The pursuit of Hogan, Cornell and Stewart began after ACC officers stormed a suite at Melbourne's Sheraton hotel on Valentine's Day 2004. The room was booked in the name of Brit Philip Egglishaw, a principal of Swiss tax advisory firm Strachans.

The client files on Egglishaw's laptop sparked the Project Wickenby tax probe, which cost $430 million to run but claimed to have raised more than $1 billion by the time it finished 2015.

In total 46 people were convicted. Wickenby's most high-profile scalp was entertainment guru Glenn Wheatley, jailed for 15 months in 2007.

Hogan has said he used Strachans — legitimately.

Mowbray River a well known spot for snapping pics of crocodiles

MOTORISTS driving ­between Cairns and Port Douglas know well the Mowbray River is a no-go zone for swimming: you can actually see the crocodiles on the riverbank.

At least three saltwater crocodiles inhabit the area under the Captain Cook Highway bridge over the river, about 7km south of Port ­Douglas.

The reptiles, which ­occasionally bask next to each other, are regularly snapped by passers-by.

Hartleys Crocodile Adventures wildlife manager Drew Melville said the trio of predators may be too small to take a person.

But, he said, that did not rule out a much larger croc stalking the area.

"I would not recommend anyone go swimming in the Mowbray River or its tributaries," he said.

"There's the possibility that there is a large male croc in the there and no one has seen him.

"So you've got Dickson Inlet, where there is definitely one over 4m plus.

"And of course, even rivers like the Daintree or Coopers Creek are well within the travelling range of larger crocs."

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection rangers were last night surveying the Mowbray River and tributaries for any signs of a large crocodile that may have taken Anne Cameron.

Crocodiles that have ­previously attacked people are known to display aggressive and territorial behaviour.

There were several sightings of crocs in the Mowbray reported to EHP.

However, as the river is well within crocodile territory, only warning signs were erected alongside the permanent warning signs at the bridge that have been in place for some time.

Mr Melville said swimming in creeks anywhere between Rockhampton to the tip of Cape York was definitely not advisable.

"And that would be a tragedy, indeed, if this is what has happened (with the elderly woman)," he said.

The suspected fatal attack follows the death of Cairns spearfisherman Warren ­Hughes, 35, who was taken by a crocodile near the mouth of the Russell River in March.

FNQ AUTHORITY IDEA REJECTED
THE Palaszczuk government will not support basing a Queensland Crocodile Authority in Cairns.

Bureaucrats from the ­Department of Environment and Heritage Protection fronted a public hearing in Brisbane on Wednesday to discuss ­Katter's Australian Party's draft legislation, the Safer ­Waterways Bill. One component of the Bill includes the creation of a crocodile authority, based in Cairns, which would be tasked with issuing permits for legal crocodile egg harvesting in Queensland and to landholders to manage crocodiles on their own land.

But the EHP officials, in their official submission to the inquiry examining the Bill, want the requirement for ­public servants employed by the authority to live and work in Cairns to be removed.

The department's Dr Beth Clouston said having staff based in Cairns would limit ­officers' capacity to respond to croc sightings in a timely and efficient manner.

EHP also says there may be "industrial relations implications" relating to forcing staff to live and work in Cairns.

Surf Life Saving Queensland boss says swimmers not safe from crocodile attack

A SURF Life Saving boss is warning swimmers they should no longer feel safe in some of our most popular waterways — as crocodile numbers keep rising.

A SURF Life Saving Queensland boss says swimmers can no longer feel safe in the state's waterways due to the increased threat of crocodile attack.

SLSQ chief operating officer George Hill yesterday told a public hearing into Katter's Australia Party's proposed Safer Waterways Bill there was a growing risk to both Surf Life Saving staff and the general public at Queensland beaches.

"We have seen a growing trend and a higher risk to our community," he said.

"The reality is that there's tourists sunbaking and there's crocodiles (basking) less than 30m apart.

"It's a risk that has the potential to have a catastrophic result for the community."

The revelation comes after The Courier-Mail this week revealed crocodile sightings in the state have increased by more than 38 per cent in the past two years.

Mr Hill said while the service did not support killing crocodiles, it did want to see them removed from popular swimming areas.

"Both those levels (life guards and life savers) have identified a trend of seeing larger crocodiles in what we call public space, waterways where people can frequent. And when I say larger crocodiles, over the past five years the trend has certainly grown to see 3m to 4m crocodiles.

"(This) is in public spaces such as Port Douglas Beach, Four Mile Beach, there was one there last week that we closed the beach for, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Forest Beach in Ingham, Townsville's Strand."

Mr Hill said members were becoming hesitant to patrol waterways north of Townsville and that he was particularly concerned for the safety of SLSQ staff manning stinger nets in north Queensland.

"Unfortunately crocodiles can enter those (nets) and ... we have situations where every morning in summer our lifesavers and lifeguards will drag those nets for stingers.

"But they're going in knowing there may or may not be a crocodile in there."

Mr Hill said he supported changes to the state's crocodile management plan if it meant safer waterways for swimmers.

"We need to protect our environment but certainly we need to protect the public and our users and future surf life savers and people that frequent our waters," he said.

"While we don't want to see the crocs harmed in any way, we certainly do support the removal of any crocodile that's in a public space that could be a risk to anyone in the community whether it's a bite or a fatal attack."

The proposed KAP Bill would introduce a number of new measures including controlled crocodile culls and egg harvesting.

A spokesman for Australia Zoo also spoke at the hearing and slammed the Bill saying it was poorly researched and would not make waterways any safer.

"This legislation will be disastrous for humans and for crocodiles," he said.

"The environmental research has been basic and sketchy."

Management of killer crocodiles surfaces as a poll flashpoint

The management of the state's crocodile population is shaping up to be a major election issue with 477 crocodiles sightings reported to the environment department so far this year, a significant jump from 345 in the same period of 2015.

Fishing Port Douglas owner Lynton Heffer has been fishing in North Queensland for 22 years and said crocodile behaviour had changed, particularly over the past two years.

"In the past couple of years we've certainly seen them more frequently in the more public areas," he said. "I don't think they're scared of human activity anymore and they're encroaching on areas they haven't been in the past.

"It's not behaviour you'd usually see."

Ian Jenkins, who owns Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo near Childers, said the crocodile population was spreading out.

"I think the likelihood of crocs moving further south than they traditionally have been is going to keep increasing," he said. "They don't read maps and they can travel considerable distances.

"I think crocs are looking to expand their territory so they are moving further afield and moving into areas they're not traditionally known to be."

Both Mr Jenkins and Mr Heffer were sceptical of calls for a cull saying it would create complacency and would never guarantee complete safety in waterways.

Cairns was the most common area for croc sightings so far this year with 108 reports, followed by the Cassowary Coast 66, Townsville 61 and Douglas 50.

Brenton Gangemi, who runs Snapping Tours on the Johnstone River at Innisfail, said he generally saw four to five crocodiles on each tour.

"I don't necessarily think there's an increase in crocodile numbers but there are certainly more people around to see them," he said. "There are always going to be crocodiles so people just need to be vigilant.

"Even if you cull the crocs, you've still got bull sharks and stingers to contend with."

Mount Isa MP Robbie Katter is leading the push to introduce controlled culls and legalise crocodile egg harvesting.

"It appears the crocs are not only growing in numbers but everyone here would agree they're much bolder and not scared of human presence," he said. "Undeniably there must be greater numbers because there are crocs in the river systems where we swim, pushing up into areas where they've never been in modern memory."

Shadow environment minister Christian Rowan said problem crocodiles would be shot on sight under the LNP's proposed crocodile management policy, with zones drawn up to decide the appropriate action but his government did not support a cull.

"From anecdotal reports there seems to have been a significant increase (in sightings)," he said.

"Absolutely it's a significant issue in the North and it will be a significant election issue."

The State Government is undertaking a $2.7 million, three-year crocodile population survey and monitoring program to track croc numbers.

Environment Minister Steven Miles said targeted crocodile operations had doubled under the Labor Government.

"We have made the wildlife officers, who do a very difficult and sometimes unsafe job, permanent," he said. "They were temporary officers under the (previous government)."

An EHP spokesman stressed increased sightings were not necessarily due to a population increase and could be attributed to multiple sightings of one animal or could be a case of mistaken identity.