Botswana: Crocodile Relocation Spurs Conservation

When a four-meter-long Nile crocodile lost all fear of humans and began lunging at visitors to one of the lodges in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, wildlife officials considered the usual practice of lethal control. The concerted efforts of Earthwatch principal investigator Dr. Alison Leslie and her team allowed them to capture the animal and transport it to a crocodile farm for captive breeding. Conflict between humans and Nile crocodiles is a growing problem in Africa, as human populations continue to increase and encroach on wildlife habitat. Conflicts have recently been reported from 17 African countries within the range of the crocodiles, and Leslie receives reports of "problem" animals about once a month in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana.