Cumbria university scientists find 'extinct' crocodile in Africa

The West African Dwarf Crocodile

By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 13:07, Wednesday, 12 January 2011

A team of scientists from the University of Cumbria rediscovered an endangered African crocodile – which was thought to be extinct – while working on a project in The Gambia.

The lecturers and students are working on a project to relieve poverty in Africa through the conservation of endangered species.

And they were in Africa at the same time as the Cumbrian ospreys which are currently resting in warmer climes for the winter.

The group rediscovered the West African Dwarf Crocodile which was thought to be extinct.

Dr Roy Armstrong, senior lecturer with the Centre for Wildlife Conservation at the University of Cumbria, said: “This came about while the team were setting up a vulture monitoring scheme.

“During the survey the team noticed a pair of eyes looking at them from a roadside lake. It became clear that these belonged to a crocodile, but it did not look like the much larger West African crocodiles that the team were used to.

“Ryan Fritsch was dispatched to creep through the lakeside vegetation to try to get photographs to allow identification. The photographs revealed a small crocodile with a short snout, dark eyes and eyelash-like appendages.

“The team believed this to be a Dwarf crocodile and this was later confirmed by experts including Tim Wacher of the Zoological Society of London.”

Dr Wacher, a West Africa expert also cast doubt on earlier records, and said: “This is the first confirmed record in The Gambia I have seen.”

The day after the initial sighting, Dr Armstrong returned to the site and confirmed that the crocodile was still present, but this time, also located a single baby crocodile, confirming that this was a breeding site.

The team are now working with biologists and government departments to develop a conservation strategy, including protecting the site and “ranching” to increase the population and allow re-introductions to other areas.

The team of scientists have just published the findings from their 2010 research expedition to The Gambia.

The team of seven students included members from Germany, Australia, Poland, Northern Ireland, England and Cumbria.

While they were there, they also confirmed the presence of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin.

Dr Armstrong said: “The small Gambian population of this rare dolphin had not definitely been recorded for at least seven years.

“The team travelled to remote Jinack island to search for this species and were rewarded with sightings of a group of up to seven individuals, including a baby.”

The team became aware that there was a large-scale fishery for sharks and rays to supply the Chinese shark-fin industry.

Trays of several hundred sharks with their fins removed were found drying in remote areas. Many of the sharks were common Milk Sharks, however, significant numbers of endangered species were found, including Hammerheads and African Guitar Fish.

PMcClounie@cngroup.co.uk

First published at 11:44, Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

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