Post by admin on May 29, 2014 12:36:27 GMT 8
Residents of Palawan town fear more crocodile attacks
ANC – Wed, May 28, 2014
Authorities have urged residents of Bataraza, Palawan to be more vigilant following a recent crocodile attack.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a fisherfolk and resident of Sitio Panagnan, Brgy. Taraktak Riotuba, Bataraza in Palawan was killed by a crocodile estimated to be at least 15 feet long.
Rommel Seplan was supposed to harvest clams and sea cucumbers on the evening of May 24. Relatives say that it had been Seplan's only source of income.
Members of the PCG, who were doing the rounds at the time, saw Seplan being attacked by a crocodile.
They fired shots at the reptile, forcing it to flee and release Seplan's body, which was tied to his boat. Relatives explained that it was Seplan's habit to tie himself to his boat whenever he dove for clams and sea cucumbers.
Residents near the river said that there are a lot of crocodiles in the area, and they usually see some in the afternoons.
The fisherfolk are now worried about their livelihood.
Meanwhile, members of the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWCC) and Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) explored the river and saw the decreasing number of mangroves in the area.
Experts say that crocodiles can become more aggresive due to the destruction of their natural habitat.
"These (rivers) are really areas for habitat. If people destroy mangroves, that's the time they (crocodiles) become aggressive," Alex Marcaida, Spokesperson for PCSD says.
In 2011, Edwin Lucero, another fisherfolk, was also attacked by a crocodile in Marabahay, Bataraza Palawan.
Source: anc.yahoo.com/news/bataraza--palawan-residents-urged-to-be-vigilant-amid-crocodile-attack-034420054.html
ANC – Wed, May 28, 2014
Authorities have urged residents of Bataraza, Palawan to be more vigilant following a recent crocodile attack.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a fisherfolk and resident of Sitio Panagnan, Brgy. Taraktak Riotuba, Bataraza in Palawan was killed by a crocodile estimated to be at least 15 feet long.
Rommel Seplan was supposed to harvest clams and sea cucumbers on the evening of May 24. Relatives say that it had been Seplan's only source of income.
Members of the PCG, who were doing the rounds at the time, saw Seplan being attacked by a crocodile.
They fired shots at the reptile, forcing it to flee and release Seplan's body, which was tied to his boat. Relatives explained that it was Seplan's habit to tie himself to his boat whenever he dove for clams and sea cucumbers.
Residents near the river said that there are a lot of crocodiles in the area, and they usually see some in the afternoons.
The fisherfolk are now worried about their livelihood.
Meanwhile, members of the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWCC) and Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) explored the river and saw the decreasing number of mangroves in the area.
Experts say that crocodiles can become more aggresive due to the destruction of their natural habitat.
"These (rivers) are really areas for habitat. If people destroy mangroves, that's the time they (crocodiles) become aggressive," Alex Marcaida, Spokesperson for PCSD says.
In 2011, Edwin Lucero, another fisherfolk, was also attacked by a crocodile in Marabahay, Bataraza Palawan.
Source: anc.yahoo.com/news/bataraza--palawan-residents-urged-to-be-vigilant-amid-crocodile-attack-034420054.html