Trophy hunter cuts off croc's head

DANIEL BOURCHIER

04May08


A TERRITORY mum was outraged to come across a beheaded croc in a Darwin waterway yesterday.

Recreational fishermen and visitors to Elizabeth River, Palmerston, were confronted by the 3m floating carcass of the crocodile.

The body was floating belly-up near a crocodile trap, missing its head.

Mel Jensen of Gunn, Palmerston, was with her husband Paul and four of their five children when they came across the crocodile.

"This was the worst act of cruelty I have seen,'' she said.

"The people who are responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves.

"This was most definitely not a nice scene for children to see.

"It's disgusting and they are cowards.

"The children were upset.''

Another NEWSBREAKER, Chris Bell, 34, of Berrimah said it was sad to see the dead croc.

"I go out fishing every weekend and I have never seen anything like this,'' he said.

"It was unbelievable and sad -- it's not real good to see that.

"It has been trophy hunted for sure.

"I know crocodiles are not our best friend, but they don't deserve this.''

Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts wildlife officer Peter Phillips said this sort of behaviour was disappointing.

"This crocodile would have been killed illegally and the head removed by a trophy hunter,'' he said.

"We frown on this and there is a $55,000 fine or a five-year jail sentence for anyone caught.

"This behaviour is absolutely disgraceful (but) it does happen on occasion unfortunately.''

Mr Phillips said they depend on information from the public to protect wildlife.

Parks and Wildlife is investigating and asked members of the public to phone 0419822839 if they had seen anything.



http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/05/04/4030_ntnews.html

When they catch him should chop his off as well

There will be a trophy to scare the kids with.

$55,000 fine and five years in jail may almost be enough.

caimanhunter wrote:

...may almost be enough.

Jailed for cutting off snake head

A man who cut off the head of a snake while high on a cocktail of cocaine and vodka has been jailed for 28 days.

James Lloyd Evans-Bull, 23, of Swansea, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the boa constrictor.

Magistrates heard he attacked the 5ft (1.52m) pet, claiming it had attacked him when he released it from its cage.

His mother woke to discover a pool of blood, and the apprentice painter and decorator apologised to her: "My head's gone. It's the drink and cocaine."

John Tarrant, prosecuting, read out a vet's post-mortem report in court detailing the extent of the pain the reptile would have suffered.

It highlighted how a snake's physiology would mean the severed head would go on feeling pain for up to an hour after decapitation.

1Extreme pain'

It also detailed how the snake's lower neck showed that Evans-Bull had made two previous failed attempts to saw off its head before he was successful.

"The working of the knife through the various tissues will have inflicted extreme pain," the vet's report said.

"It is my understanding that this decapitation was performed with a domestic kitchen knife. To so sever the head of a live snake would take a lot of force.

"Once decapitated, the severed head will have continued to experience the pain sensation on the severed tissues for at least one hour.

"It is my opinion that this snake had died from a decapitation wound that would have led to a slow, painful death and caused this animal unnecessary suffering."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7339359.stm

I read about the boa and think it's bloody aweful!
It's disgusting that he only got jailed for 28 days. Just where do the courts get off at allowing him to do only 28 days????

Reptile Rescue Den wrote:

Just where do the courts get off at allowing him to do only 28 days????

On the bright side it is better than nothing.