The eleven man team, along with three Wild Animal Volunteers, headed by the owner of the Ranch, Andrew Erikson, embarked on this operation following several sightings of crocodiles in rivers in the area.
These reptiles are believed to have escaped from a local hatchery on a farm during flooding some years ago. They were spotted by locals and were thereafter monitored by members of the 'South Cape Hunters and Conservation Society' over a three-month period. The cattle farmer who recently purchased the farm has also been researching ways to get rid of the estimated 500 breeding crocodiles in the hopes of preventing possible dangerous or tragic scenarios.
A spokesperson for the Mossel Bay Municipality had also distributed pamphlets to warn the public about the presence of these crocodiles. CapeNature were approached in the hopes that they could find a solution who in turn contacted Cango Wildlife Ranch.
After their capture the four largest crocodiles captured have found san
ctuary in the Ranch's Jumping Jaws exhibit while the rest were transported to a large crocodile farm near Bela-Bela in the Limpopo. The captured reptiles ranged in length from 75cm to 3m. It is believed that large numbers of these reptiles are still present in the surrounding rivers, possibly ranging from 1m to 3,5m and residents are cautioned.
The croc-wrangling team from Cango Wildlife Ranch captured 494 crocodiles in a single day in Brandwag and Little Brak.
