You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
-Short Attention Span Theater-
Biologists plan to use magnets to repel crocodiles from urban areas
2009-02-26
FLORIDA wildlife managers have launched an experiment to see if they can keep crocodiles from returning to residential neighbourhoods by temporarily taping magnets to their heads to disrupt their "homing" ability.
"No, you tape the magnet to the crocodile's head!"
Florida? Pay em in beer. You'll have volunteers around the block.
Posted by:Fred

#11  "MONSTERQUEST" = "MONSTERS", on HISTORY.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-02-26 23:01  

#10  Hey, its on the HISTORY CHANNEL, OR IIRC WILL BE THIS WEEK???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-02-26 23:01  

#9  Just remember we are talking American crocodiles here not gators. Problem gators are handled by trappers that are allowed to sell off the gator parts. Crocs are covered by the ESA and being endangered you can't off them. So IIRC correctly there was one female croc that kept showing up at a Fort Meyers golf course. The problem was there was no place far enough away she could be relocated to that she wouldn't find her way back.
Of course if they let me start a IR fire ant control program way back when at turkey point they would be "threatened" by now.
As for paying them with beer, that is the preffered medium of payment for most reptile people. My buddy Joe would do it for beer, see: http://www.natselections.com/index.htm
Posted by: Don Vito Anginegum8261   2009-02-26 14:50  

#8  Maybe they meant a .44 Magnet applied to the forhaed of the critter?
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2009-02-26 12:12  

#7  I live in a community with "beaucoup" lakes, ponds and canal infested with 'gators. The one about 200 yards from me has a family of 6. The poppa is a big boy - about 10 feet and he likes to roam at night (as most gators) from one water source to another. If you are out playing golf on the course late at dusk it is not unusual to run into one walking down the cart path. The neat thing about this idea of putting a magnet on their heads is that maybe I could pick up his location on my GPS driven Sky Caddie and be able to avoid this particular hazard:)
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2009-02-26 11:14  

#6  Instead of a Magnet tied to their head, how about some lead inserted a little deeper. And the wild life officers wouldn't have to get as close.
Posted by: Omoter Speaking for Boskone7794   2009-02-26 09:41  

#5  Taping magnets?

Hell, just use non-magnetic lead applied with a large caliber gun. Stick the manager into a cage with a gator and let him pick which method he'd prefer.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2009-02-26 08:44  

#4  There is a shortage of ammunition in Florida?
Posted by: john frum   2009-02-26 05:47  

#3  I see, they want teenage mutant ninja gators.
Posted by: Spike Uniter   2009-02-26 05:41  

#2  Seems like a jolly good way to reduce personnel in the wildlife management department, to me. I'll sit this one out.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2009-02-26 05:16  

#1  "Hey, Jim Bob! Let's you and him go stick some magnets on that gator's head."
"No problemo. Here, hold my beer."

Pedantic note: most of the big toothy reptiles in Florida are alligators. The American crocodile is found in Central America, but rare in Florida except for a small population in the south.
Posted by: SteveS   2009-02-26 00:36  

00:00